Two Smart Mouths and One Worrywart
by Emmie1
Summary: AU, Maria is an alien, so are Michael and Max… Two get together without telling the third, dream walk, plan revenge, in short- Double Double toil and trouble.. Please R&R! MM & LM COMPLETE
1. The big discovery

Summary: AU, what if Maria was another adopted Evans girl? Max was her older brother. And Liz found something out that would interest big brother very much....  
  
Rating: G-PG at most.  
  
Changes that should be understood in the Roswell universe I have created with this story: This should be taking place, time line wise, I would imagine somewhere around the first season. The differences are, that Maria is Max's sister, an alien as well. Isabel isn't mentioned so far in my story, but she isn't Max's sister.  
  
Special thanks to: Joanie! You will always be my Max! ::Grins::  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or any of the characters in it. If I did, the show would still be on air (But that is besides the point).  
  
This is my first fanfic, so please read and review! Hope you enjoy!  
  
-=Two Smart-Mouths and One Worrywart=-  
  
Liz saw Max enter the Crashdown and fidgeted around with her apron. She had to tell him. She knew she did. Taking in a deep breath, Liz put on her typical sweet girl next door smile and filled up a cherry coke for Max. Walking around the counter in her usual waitress uniform with the little antennas bobbing atop her head, Liz walked over to the booth where Max sat. "Hi," Liz said and smiled at him warmly, her eyes full of love before casting them down and putting the coke in front of him. "On the house." Liz said in her soft-spoken way.  
  
Max smiled up at her, a smile full of love that still looked shy. "Thanks," he said mildly, accepting the free drink. He took a sip, eyes not leaving hers. Max gestured to the seat across from him. "You gotta second? I was hoping I could kind of rant to you for a minute or two, get things out of my system. Maria and Michael have taken control of the TV at home and are currently debating how they come up with the puzzles for 'The Wheel of Fortune'. Maria thinks it's a bunch of monkeys trained to nothing but come up with sentences using a typewriter while Michael's convinced it's a conspiracy."  
  
Liz blushed and smiled, obviously straining to hold in laughter. Casting a look around the Crashdown real quick, and seeing her father wasn't around and that business was slow, Liz slid into the seat opposite of Max while murmuring 'sure' to his offer for a seat. "But, uh, Max.." Liz began obviously not sure how to breach the subject. Which he did- kind of. "Uh, Max?" Liz asked softly, her voice somewhat taking up a different, higher tone, out of nerves. "So, um, were Maria and Michael just like, hanging out in front of the TV?"  
  
"Up until I left," he answered, folding his arms on the table top. "Their insults were also a little thicker than usual. You know, normally it seems to have a pattern of: bicker, get serious, bicker, get serious." He took another sip of his drink. "This was more like: bicker, bicker, stare at Max to make him uncomfortable, bicker, bicker, stare at Max to make him uncomfortable."  
  
Liz giggled and shied away. "Well, um, you have a way with words." Liz said and stared down at her fingers. "Tell me, Max?" Liz asked raising her head to look at Max warmly before coughing slightly and looking away. "Have you noticed anything else, um, different?" Liz asked looking for the right wording.  
  
"'Different'," he repeated. Max reflected back to them watching 'Wheel of Fortune'. Was anything about that different? Well, for one, they really weren't 'Wheel of Fortune' kind of people. He shrugged, toying with the straw in the cheery coke. He smiled at Liz. "Nothing except for the show they were watching."  
  
Liz smiled awkwardly. It was warm, but it looked like she was sucking in her cheeks more and couldn't decide whether her lips should go up or down. Blushing lightly, Liz wasn't sure how to go about this. Especially when Max didn't seem to notice. "Well, yeah, I mean... Max, have you noticed anything different about the two of them?" Liz asked and leaned her elbows on the diner table. "Together?"  
  
"Once again, I take it you mean beside their choice in television, them making me feel like I'm a third wheel when I'm sitting trying to do. . . ." he paused. Max stared straight ahead, past the beautiful girl with her blushing cheeks. His hands slammed down on the table as the fell. "They're. . . seeing each other, aren't they?"  
  
Liz shied back and fidgeted with her hands nervously, casting a quick look to make sure they weren't drawing too much attention from the customers. Her brown eyes growing big and doe-like. "Oh... no nonono... Max, I wasn't trying, I mean.." Liz continued stammered on with the words until she stopped and just took a deep breath. "I caught them the other night." Liz muttered, a small smile threatening to play on her face.  
  
His face was nearly emotionless as he focussed on Liz again. He didn't even arch en eyebrow as he asked, "Caught them doing what?" Visions of the things that Michael and Maria could have been caught doing went through his mind: drugs, necking, drugs, kissing, drugs, having sex. He didn't like any of them. Max did not like the idea of Michael getting close to his sister Maria. If he did want to get close to Maria, Michael should have come to him first.  
  
"Well, no, Max.." Liz's voice began slightly whinny, feeling bad that she betrayed her best-friends trust and told her brother. Liz felt like a taddle-tale. "Max, you have to promise me-.. I-I just at school. The eraser room door was slightly agar and I just saw them kissing- Nothing else." Liz said and struck out her hand, holding his she felt a slight jolt between them, and smiled at the comfort she felt with him, but that quickly changed as she looked at him seriously. This was girl business now. "Max, what are you going to do?" Liz asked recognizing the look on his face.  
  
Max felt angry, frustrated, and left out. He squeezed Liz's hand reassuringly. "So they were making out in the eraser room in school, where anyone could see them? Public displays of affection? Maria and Michael?" He laughed, but it ended abruptly. "Maybe it was someone else. Do they know you saw them?"  
  
Liz cast her eyes down, and just enjoyed the feel of Max's hand holding hers for a moment before raising her brown eyes to look back up at him. "No. I just... Max. I recognize Maria. And even though Michael was more... Out of sight, there is no mistaking that hair." Liz told him playfully trying to lighten the situation, so that Max wouldn't feel bad. "I doubt they meant to be seen, the door was just slightly open- And it was on my way to the locker. No. They don't know I saw them." Liz confessed at last. "I just got away from there as fast as I could. I tried to ask Maria about Michael, but she had just one thing to say." Liz said hooking her hair behind her ear nervously. "'Michael? Ugh. Don't even mention that name around me!'" Liz repeated, then smiled softly and blushed slightly. "But she has a hickey."  
  
"That would explain the turtleneck," he muttered with a shrug. He immediately stood back up. "Go back to work Liz. We never had this conversation. Your Dad's already on his way back downstairs now anyway. Michael must have done something wrong if Maria doesn't want to even think of him. Maybe that's why they weren't following their pattern of bickering. She's mad at him. Maria might just kill Michael if I don't intervene. See you later." Max kissed Liz's forehead, lips lingering a moment. His beautiful Liz. Michael needed to be dealt with. He left without another glance back, heading straight for home.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* There you have it! Chapter one. Cliffhanger. Like I said this is my first Roswell fanfic, please read and review! 


	2. The realization and visualization of the...

Summary: AU, what if Maria was another adopted Evans girl? Max was her older brother. And Liz found something out that would interest big brother very much....  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Changes that should be understood in the Roswell universe I have created with this story: This should be taking place, time line wise, I would imagine somewhere around the first season. The differences are, that Maria is Max's sister, an alien as well. Isabel isn't mentioned so far in my story, but she isn't Max's sister.  
  
Special thanks to: Joanie! You will always be my Max! ::Grins::  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or any of the characters in it. If I did, the show would still be on air (But that is beside the point).  
  
Thank you to those who reviewed!! I'm DELIGHTED that you liked it!! ::does goofy happy dance:: I hope you all enjoy the second chapter!  
  
-=Two Smart-Mouths and One Worrywart=- Part 2:  
  
"I'm telling you, it's a giant conspiracy," Michael said with an exaggerated gesture to the TV screen. "The stores get free advertising letting Vanna White wear their clothes, and in response the government has a secret room of political prisoners doing nothing but coming up with these puzzles. The last answer was 'Help me', how much clearer can you get?" He paused. "Are they gone?"  
  
"Dad want back the garage. The radio is playing while he's trying to fix the radiator. He won't bother us," she replied, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. She brushed lips that were even fuller than normal with her lips.  
  
"Good." Michael couldn't hold it in any longer as he grabbed Maria and pulled her close. Their lips pressed against each other as they kissed, breaths somewhat ragged. It was like touching something wonderful that was completely and utterly forbidden. Maria's father was in the garage, her mother was planting out back. They could get caught at any moment. Michael shifted his weight and drew aside her turtleneck, kissing her neck as she bit his ear playfully. They could get caught at any moment. They really shouldn't be doing this.  
  
Really.  
  
Max didn't need to knock on the door. That was the problem with Michael and Maria's plan. Anybody could walk in the front door and see them. He opened the door and stared. They were making out like.... He recalled a phrase Michael had used once. Two ferrets in a paper bag. He would describe it like that. Max's calm facade broke. He crossed the room and lifted Michael off his sister with a single hand. His voice was low and masked the anger in his eyes. "Might I ask what you two are doing?" he demanded.  
  
"MAX!" Maria yelled and sat up quickly fixing her shirt and glaring at her brother. "Max let him down! Oh my god! Max!" Maria began yelling at her brother after she stood up and smacked him on the back.  
  
Michael glared coldly and rebelliously at Max. "It's not what you think Maxwell."  
  
Maria stopped pounding on her brother's back and arched an eyebrow and turned a very curious and highly frustrated look at Michael. "It's not?" Maria asked, her expression a mixture of 'watch your step Guerin' and 'what are you up to!?'. Narrowing her eyes at Michael, Maria wasn't sure she liked where he was going with this.  
  
"No. It's not. Maxwell, do you mind?" Michael asked and with a move equally as strong as Max's pulling him off of the couch, Michael brushed Max's hands off of him and passed his hands over his shirt working out the wrinkles.  
  
Max stared at his best friend. "Oh that's great Michael, it really is. I come home to find you going at it like. . . animals, and you tell me it isn't what I think? Would you like to tell me what I think it is?" he paused a moment. "See, if I'd walked in and you blurted out that you loved Maria I would have it you and in time I would have accepted that fact. Now I don't know what to think."  
  
Maria glared from Max to Michael. Her lower lip dropping somewhat, Maria stared dangerously at Michael. "Yeah, Michael why don't you tell me what it is?" Maria asked, standing besides her brother, with her arms crossed demonstratively over her chest.  
  
Michael glared at her. "Would you stop it?"  
  
Maria's eyebrows shot up, and she looked innocent enough to be acquitted of anything. "Stop what?!" She demanded rather loudly.  
  
"You know what."  
  
"No. I don't."  
  
"You are hopeless."  
  
"UH!" Maria let out angered and reached down to the couch for a pillow and swung it at Michael, he for all the rotten luck, caught it before it hit him smack dab in the center of his face.  
  
"Thanks." Michael said sarcastically and tossed the pillow down to the couch, before finally turning to Max, a defiant look about him. "Fine, Max. Maria's pregnant and we are engaged to be married. How's that?"  
  
"What?!" Maria screamed and began kicking him. "Michael Guerin what is wrong with you!?" Maria yelled and looked back at Max, before turning quickly back to Michael. "Tell the truth!"  
  
Michael looked down at her and grinned. "Nah. You tell it." Michael said then plopped right back down on the couch, the remote automatically in his hand, and his thumb reflexively changing the channels.  
  
Maria glared down at him. "Tell me, have you learned nothing about how a man is suppose to be chivalrous?" Maria demanded bitterly.  
  
"Nope." Michael answered nonchalantly.  
  
Maria turned back to look at Max. "I had a lapse in sanity. Thank god you walked in when you did." Maria said to her brother in a monotone voice, her eyes rolling somewhat at the sight of Michael and her voice accenting the 'thank god' part, turning she looked at Max with a half bored-half disgusted expression.  
  
"I see," Max blinked. He glanced between Michael and Maria. He'd missed too much today already. Something had to be up between them. He stared hard his sister. She had to crack sooner or later. "I understand. You had a temporary lapse in sanity. Since yesterday, I presume, when you preceded this performance in front of the TV with the setting of erasers, is that it? Well then I guess it IS a good thing I came home now, before Maria really did get pregnant," he added with a pointed look at Michael. "This is my sister we're talking about!"  
  
Maria was in SHOCK.  
  
Pure and utter shock.  
  
She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she blushed. But with her blush came her fury. "What?!" Maria demanded. "You... Max," Maria said all of the sudden in a very dangerously calm voice. "Have you been spying on me?" Maria demanded to know. No one knew about the eraser room. No one. "And wait," Maria said her facial expression and accessory to every word coming out of her mouth, looking bored, sarcastic, angry and eyes rolling. "How little do you think of me that I would actually have sex with Michael?" Maria demanded.  
  
For the first time, Michael intervened with a raised voice. "Hey! You know what? Back off." Michael yelled at Maria then turned to Max. "Maxwell." Michael began, trying to calm this thing down, before Volcano Maria erupted again.  
  
"Back off? Back off?" Maria asked, now biting her lower lip. "You know what? I need my cedar oil." Maria said shaking her head and waving her hands in front of her, she needed something that would calm her down and nothing did that better then her oils. Especially her Cedar oil. Maria had enough of this, pushing past Max she glared at Michael who obediently stepped to the side out of her way as she reached for her hidden stash of oils in the desk drawer.  
  
Watching her, Michael finally turned back to Max. "It wouldn't have gone that far." Michael said leaving details from yesterday and his thoughts about today out. "And I know she is your sister, Maxwell." Michael said, putting on the tough guy act. "What do you want me to say? That it won't happen again?" Michael asked- this time the pillow Maria threw actually hit him.  
  
"How about 'Gee Maxwell, next time I think about making out with your sister, I'll say something do you instead of going behind your back'. No Maria, I wasn't spying on you, so you can take Michael's advice and back off. I'm just. . . I'm your brother, remember? I'm supposed to look out for you. You left the door open slightly." His voice dropped lower. "Part of the point I was trying to make was that we're. . . ." Max paused and pointed up to the ceiling. "How do we know that we can't get pregnant by doing something odd? Maybe Michael might be the one who gets with child. We'd have a hard time explaining that to an obstetrician."  
  
Michael glared at Max, then put his hand on his best-friend's shoulder. "No offence, Max," Michael began, a man to man discussion in low tones. "But when I think about making out with Maria- You aren't the first person I go running to." Michael said then added, in an even more sarcastic tone of voice, though he was dead serious about it non the less. "Especially to 'talk' about it." Michael whispered and added a wink to the effect.  
  
"Oh, and who is the first person you go running to?" Maria asked tartly, just receiving a glare from Michael in reply.  
  
Stepping back Michael put his hands in his pockets and cocked his head while watching Max. "Tell me, does this getting me pregnant work both ways for you getting pregnant with that Liz?" Michael asked logically.  
  
Maria sat down between them on the couch and looked up at both of them, her oil bottle opened and being waved around her, the smells soothing her somewhat. "Michael, don't call Liz, 'that' Liz." Maria snapped then pouted. Corking her oil bottle, Maria began nibbling on her lower lip. "Max?" Maria asked faintly, before looking directly at him. "With that pregnancy option you just spoke of." Maria let her voice drown out for a moment, as she narrowed her eyes and glared daggers at Max. "You have ruined all of being a 'reckless free teenager' fun, adolescence, puberty, boys, sex, everything for me right now. I hope that when your brother-in-law is God, you'll be happy." Maria snapped.  
  
He was slightly confused, but ignored his sister. Michael was who he was angry at right now. "Of course the same principle doesn't apply to Liz. She's not. . . like us. But you haven't answered Maria's question. Who is the first person you go running to when you feel like making out with my sister?"  
  
Michael narrowed his eyes at Maxwell. "Exactly. She isn't one of us, yet you go..." Michael waved his hand. "Working out your urges." Michael finally said and then glared between the Evan's siblings, before finally settling on Max. "Who is the first person you think I go to Maxwell?" Michael asked.  
  
His arms were stiff at his side when he responded. "I think you go straight to my sister. To end the urges to just referred to." He glanced between the two of them again. "Which is probably why to need to be talking right now, not just gaining up on me or each other. For one, Maria, are you just going to let him use you like this whenever he feels like it? Michael, are you going to let yourself be slowly drawn into a relationship that may wreak havoc on your friendships?"  
  
Michael backed up, raising his hands in the air. "Woah... What relationship?" Michael asked and darted an almost panicked look at Maria.  
  
*~*~*~*~ Well there you have it folks! Chapter two! Can Michael stick his foot in it or what? Just another cliff hanger to keep you guys entertained! Please review! 


	3. Poor boy

Summary: AU, what if Maria was another adopted Evans girl? Max was her older brother. And Liz found something out that would interest big brother very much....  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Changes that should be understood in the Roswell universe I have created with this story: This should be taking place, time line wise, I would imagine somewhere around the first season. The differences are, that Maria is Max's sister, an alien as well. Isabel isn't mentioned so far in my story, but she isn't Max's sister.  
  
Special thanks to: Joanie! You will always be my Max! ::Grins::  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or any of the characters in it. If I did, the show would still be on air (But that is beside the point).  
  
Maria just stared up at him. "You don't think what we have here is a-"  
  
"No!" Michael stated rather loudly and maybe a bit too sharply.  
  
"Oh." Maria said and looked down at the TV. She was offended. But then again, it was Michael. What could she expect? First time they ever met he told her he hated blondes she should dye her hair. And they were just six at the time. "Fine." Maria said and stood up turning her back to Michael and facing Max with her full pain and wrath. "For your information Max," Maria said not sparing Michael a second look. "Who is to say I wasn't using him, either?" Maria asked then stomped out of the living room and left to her room, leaving the two men alone.  
  
Michael stared after then back at Max. "Do you see what you've done!?"  
  
"Yes." He sat down in an empty chair. If Michael wanted to get into a fight let him. Max doubted he could calm his friend down in this condition. Not when he was the one Michael was angry at. "Would you prefer it got out now, or when Maria brought you to a school dance and a hundred people saw? In case you haven't noticed Michael, girls are assuming. If you start making out with her, she's going to think it's because you like her and want to be with her, not because you need some action. I'm not going to let either of you get in over your heads. You're not ready for a relationship, and if Maria really is using you, then you two might very well be made for each other."  
  
Michael glared at his friend. "Since when did you get so in touch with your feminine side?!" Michael asked then cursed and started pacing the length of the Evan's couch and back, raking his hand through his hair Michael finally sat down with a thud, on the couch. "I didn't think she saw this as a... She knows I don't want to form connections." Michael ranted on to himself, not able to bring himself to say the word 'relationship' and substituting it for some, less fighting, but useful to describe the situation all the same. "I mean. Sure. I like her. Why would I make out with her?" Michael grumbled then remembered Max was in the room. Michael decided to pointedly ignore his own last remark. "It wouldn't come out in a school dance- I wouldn't have taken her."  
  
"She'd have hog-tied you," Max said with a smile. "Besides, it's amazing what a girl can do when they bat their eyes at you. I had to get in touch with my feminine side. Otherwise, Liz and I still wouldn't be together. Maria knows you don't want to form a relationship, but that doesn't mean she can't hope. I think deep down Maria's a hopeless romantic, she just won't admit it."  
  
"Yeah well. She can forget about it." Michael said slicing that idea to the quick. "Besides, you and Liz would have gotten together. You have the whole romantic, soul-mate thing going." Michael said then shut off the tv and tossed the remote to the other side of the couch where just a short while before a lovely female form sat, and she felt so warm.. Michael shook those thoughts away. "I still don't approve of you and Liz." Michael added, turning the subject to him. "I'm stronger then you Maxwell. It takes more than some eye batting to make me crumble." Michael said then looked up at the ceiling. After a few minutes, Michael released a deep breath. "I screwed up. Didn't I?" Michael asked, not happy with the fact that he had to admit to a screw-up before the man, next to whom he always felt 'less.'  
  
Max thought a moment. "No you didn't," he answered. Michael continued to stare at the ceiling. "It's perfectly normal. You're a guy, she's a girl. You both like being in control of the situation. You both like being your own persons. You both have different ideas of what happens when you two start making out. My God, I sound I like Oprah." He glanced at the television set. "Maybe you and Maria need to go have a talk with Dr. Phil."  
  
Michael stared at Max through the side of his brown eyes. "Maxwell, are you drunk?"  
  
"Or Dr. Ruth," he continued. Max snapped back to reality. "No Michael, I'm not inebriated."  
  
"Yeah well you are sounding like you are." Michael said and pushed himself off of the couch. "Look, there is no Maria and me. Me and Maria. So you don't need to concern yourself." Michael said looking around for his keys. He didn't feel comfortable there anymore.  
  
"They're in your pocket," Max told his friend, slightly amused. "Are you just going to leave Maria like that? Upset? I have to live with her. Go talk to her Michael. Straighten everything out. Maybe you'll end up getting your cake and eating it too."  
  
Michael stopped and looked at Max. "Are you giving me and okay to make out with your sister?"  
  
"Well," he thought about that. "Since I know about it know -although I'm still upset that neither of you two told me- and if you two can work everything out, then I won't blow up next time I find you two in a compromising position. Provided that you don't go putting your nose in my business."  
  
Michael stopped and couldn't help it. He had spent too much time with Maria. He learned how to lose his temper. "Wait- And it's okay for you to stick your nose into my business and ruin a perfectly good," Michael glanced at the couch. "Operation we had going and I am not allowed to comment about how you are 'involved' with the enemy?! Max- Liz isn't one of us. She's human, Maxwell." Michael reminded then looked back at the steps, turning back Michael glared at Max. "See, if we were in a relationship, I'd actually bother in trying to fix this." Michael said, his glare never wavering from Max. "By all rights, since you caused the rift, you should be the one to fix it to." Michael said, afterwards 'compromising position' could be heard muttered under his breath.  
  
"Liz is your friend too!" Max snapped. His voice flashed back to normal parameters. "I've put up with your comments for a long time. I understand how you feel. Maybe starting to deal with girls on your own will make you understand me more, Michael." He indicated upstairs with a nod of his head. "I have my own problems with Maria, I don't have to deal with yours. Sooner or later this would happen. It just happened sooner. Go figure out what you two are going to do with each other. I'll talk to Maria later on, about how I feel as a brother. She doesn't need a brother right now Michael, she needs you. I know you think it must pain me to say it, it's true."  
  
Michael grinned at Max. "You've got problems with her too, huh?" Michael asked, then looked at the stairs. "Alright. Don't come unless you hear me screaming for help, trying to get away from the ensnarer of relationships." Michael said taking a hesitant step towards the stairs. "She's going to kill me. You realize you're sending your best and oldest friend to his doom, right?" Michael asked before waving and going upstairs. Turning down the familiar door he knocked on Maria's door.  
  
The door opened and he was tossed in, before the door closed with a solid click behind him. "What took you so long?!" Maria demanded in a growling hiss.  
  
"What?! I had to make it look real you know."  
  
"Yeah. Well, have you heard what *too* real is, Michael? This is not for the Academy Awards we are playing here, just some privacy from Max and pea- "  
  
"Are you done?" Michael interrupted rudely.  
  
Maria glared at him. "Yes. So he bought it?"  
  
"Hook line and sinker." Michael promised and pulled her to him. "You know, this is a much better location then the living room. We have a bed."  
  
"Watch it, Michael." Maria warned wagging her index finger in front of him. A moment later his lips descended onto hers and they were both lost.  
  
A few minutes into the fun kissing and warm making out, Maria turned her head to the side to allow Michael access to her neck. "So wait, you really don't think this is a relationship?" Maria asked bluntly.  
  
Michael's only reply was to groan in despair. He was never going to get any today. That was painfully obvious to him.  
  
*~*~*~* Part three folks! I almost feel bad for Michael. Hope you liked! Please review!*~*~*~* 


	4. Sam the Butcher

Summary: AU, what if Maria was another adopted Evans girl? Max was her older brother. And Liz found something out that would interest big brother very much....  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Changes that should be understood in the Roswell universe I have created with this story: This should be taking place, time line wise, I would imagine somewhere around the first season. The differences are, that Maria is Max's sister, an alien as well. Isabel isn't mentioned so far in my story, but she isn't Max's sister.  
  
Special thanks to: Joanie! You will always be my Max! ::Grins::  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or any of the characters in it. If I did, the show would still be on air (But that is beside the point).  
  
  
  
"Max!" Liz called from over his shoulder and dumped her schoolbooks, on the table he was sitting in front of, causing a loud thud. Placing her hands on either side of the pile, Liz loomed over them and glared, or rather attempted an angry glare at the love of her life. "What did you do?" Liz demanded urgently.  
  
Max looked up at her, not so much startled as surprised. He had never seen this side of Liz before. And his emotions were running away with him, at the sight of her. Not only at the sight of her, but an extra bonus at the sight of her angry, and practically glowing. "What?" He asked meekly, composing himself and centering his thoughts on the current conversation rather than letting them travel off, to how cute Liz looked with that braid falling down her shoulder.  
  
Liz, not easy moved aside by the cute smile on his face, continued hammering at her point. She was on a mission, and by God, she was going to get to the bottom of this. Sliding into the seat opposite of Max, Liz narrowed her eyes at him giving him her full attention and focusing intently on him, which also caused a slight rouge color to dab on her cheeks. "What did you do? Maria and Michael aren't even talking, Max." Liz informed him, then folded her arms over her chest and gave him a 'this is serious' look. "They aren't even bickering. They're just, not talking." Liz told him.  
  
Max blinked.  
  
Once.  
  
Twice.  
  
"What?" He asked in disbelief, he was sure after all the hours they spent locked up in Maria's room they had worked things out. After all, he didn't hear anything crashing or breaking. Not too many shouts either.  
  
Oh, could they have been.? No. Max quickly answered his question. No way, if Maria was angry with Michael that meant that they didn't. Max felt a great relief, settle on his previously tightened up from chest. "I. Didn't do anything." Max lied uselessly.  
  
"Max," Liz said her tone of voice gentler and more sympathetic. He was so cute when he lied. He got this innocent look about him, and Liz kept seeing him as a little boy who should be cuddled and snuggled close and- No. Keep your thoughts on track. "Max, the truth." Liz told him, putting on a hurt look, at the very notion that he would lie to her.  
  
Max sighed and slumped back in his chair, his shoulders sagging. "I walked in on them yesterday."  
  
"In?" Liz repeated her eyebrows shooting up.  
  
"Yeah." Max said and understanding how bad his previous sentence had sounded and the line of thought it might be carrying he rushed forward quickly to correct the situation. "Oh, no, not like that." Max told Liz. "Dad was in the garage and mom was tending to her flowers, so I walked in figuring Michael had already gone home- and I found them making out on the couch." Max confessed, looking like the beaten little puppy suffering from guilt because of it.  
  
"Oh." Liz whispered and thought about it. "Well, that isn't too bad." She whispered trying to find some sort of angle, considering that Max was Maria's brother, as to how this could not be 'too bad', especially after catching your sister making out with your best friend. "What else?" Liz pressed on, she would comfort him later.  
  
"Well, we got into a discussion." Max muttered on.  
  
Liz caught on immediately and narrowed her eyes at him shrewdly, seeing straight through the calm facade. "An argument you mean." Liz corrected him with a friendly warm, but most importantly sympathetic smile on her face.  
  
"Well," Max moved around uncomfortably in his seat, not feeling good about the situation at all. "Are they only not talking?" He asked softly, casting his eyes down at Liz's books.  
  
"Well, no. I kind of noticed Maria and Michael not talking. Indirectly. It wasn't the main thing." Liz explained her voice soft and slightly stammering as she tried to explain a complicated situation to one of the main parties involved.  
  
That caught Max's attention all right. His head shot up and his eyebrows raised up questioningly. "Then what was the main thing?" Max asked hesitantly, his gut feeling telling him he wasn't going to like this at all.  
  
"Well, you see," Liz began, looking almost as uncomfortable about the situation as Max felt. "Maria and I were lab partners today." Liz said as a prologue to her explanation, that judging by how difficult it was for Liz to explain, maybe not so much 'difficult' as embarrassing it would take some time telling.  
  
Max leaned forward and nodding, his eyes dark and soft, reassuring her and silently asking her to go on.  
  
"Well, she went Sam the Butcher on the lab frog." Liz rushed out cryptically looking completely despondent.  
  
Max looked quite confused and very lost. "'Sam the Butcher?'" Max repeated questioningly.  
  
"Sam the Butcher." Liz answered solidly, matter-of-factly, and to the point.  
  
"Who is Sam the Butcher?"  
  
"Never mind." Liz said shaking her head softly, a few loose strands of soft dark brown hair coming loose out of her braid and falling over her face.  
  
"Alright." Max drawled out slowly, then raised a different question. "What is Sam the Butcher?" Max asked sheepishly.  
  
"Uh." Liz looked around, her eyes darting about like a caged animal, sucking in her lower lip, Liz made a slight helpless sound before breaking into giggles. "That's not important right now." Liz whispered casting her lashes down.  
  
Max could except and back off on the subject. For now, he would question her about it later. "So Maria went 'Sam the Butcher' on a frog?" Max asked not understanding how this connected to anything, except for the fact that it was a known thing that Maria hated frogs. Not to mention hated Biology. But most of all, despised dissecting frogs in biology class.  
  
Liz sighed, taking in a deep breath to steel her backbone, Liz felt almost helpless. Couldn't he understand where she was going with this? Deciding that Max for all of him being her best friend, was not her girlfriend, and was a guy who had to be explained things differently to, Liz decided to blurt it out simply. Reaching across the table, she took his hand in hers and passed her thumb over his warm skin. "Max, Maria never dissects frogs. She always for at least 20 minutes gives Mr. Seligman (The Biology teacher) hell about having to do it, and then makes me do it, half a second into the cut she gets faint and runs out of the classroom." Liz explained, knowing these were things that Max probably didn't know, most assuredly didn't care to know, but were non-the less important to her story. "Today however, after Mr. Seligman turned an exasperated look towards Maria waiting for the ritual arguing. Well," Liz began stammering trying to figure out how to explain this. "Maria didn't argue. She picked up the knife and began carving into the little guy." Liz said shuddering at the memory of what happened to the poor -dead- little creature.  
  
Max looked completely lost and confused. This didn't sound anything like the Maria he knew. His sister, his flesh and blood.  
  
Could he have screwed something up that much? But maybe it didn't have anything to do with him. He couldn't see how Liz's story even connected to what had transpired yesterday. "I'm not following." Max confessed, looking at her like a lost little child in need of guidance. He was a leader figure. He was strong. He was decisive and could very easily be headstrong as well, but when it came to girl things, he was just as lost as any other guy. Not catching on to any of the clues Liz was throwing his way. Why did she have to pitter-patter around the subject? Couldn't she just say it directly? Max wondered the smiled at the thought. No, not his Liz she was too sweet and gentle to just blurt something so touchy and important out like that. And besides he enjoyed seeing her fluster and having her close to him. Loving talking to her far too much to care about the labyrinth like turns this conversation was taking. Though he did want to figure out what Liz was driving at.  
  
Liz was exasperated, she decided to act like a guy. Just lay it all out there on the table, to hell with subtlety! "Max, Maria plastered a 'Michael' sticker on the Frog's head and carved him up like Jack the Ripper."  
  
Max's eyes widened as understanding sunk in, along with it that feeling of despair gnawing away in the pit of his stomach. "Oh. This is bad." Max whispered, completely dumbfounded by what he had just been told.  
  
Liz nodded sympathy written on her features and worry ingrained in her eyes. Nibbling nervously on her lower lip, Liz finally after a long silence let out a frustrated sigh. "Max, what are we going to do?"  
  
"What?" Max in shock. Hadn't they (all right he) intervened enough? For the first time in Max's life, he wanted to shake the responsibility off of him.  
  
But his conscious wasn't going to let him do that sadly.  
  
Max groaned in despair, running his fingers through his hair, he tightened his grip on Liz's hand. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Max muttered under his breath, then turned large soulful eyes to look into Liz's beautiful orbs. "Got any ideas?" Max asked, suspicion that the beautiful creature in front of him had already plotted this all out.  
  
At the mischief filled look she gave him, Max didn't know if he should break out grinning like a goofy cartoon clown or hide away in a dark corner for fear of his life. Max huffed to himself with thoughtful sarcasm at the whole situation. He thought being an alien, having to hide the secret from everyone, run away from loose FBI agents and trying to find the meaning of their spaceship crashing was hard. Max felt crest fallen, he never imagined how difficult his sister's relationships could be.  
  
Why couldn't she find a normal guy? Michael was Max's best friend, Max loved and trust Michael. but despite the being an alien, which really didn't bother him, seeing as they were all aliens- The guy was just plain not normal and full of issues. Maria just had to go with a guy full of complexities.  
  
This is all Maria's fault.  
  
Of that, Max was certain.  
  
Liz beamed and leaned close, kissing him lightly on the lips before pulling back. Making sure that he was with her and following her, Liz smiled impishly, plotting and scheme shinning brightly like little sequences in her eyes. "Of course I have a plan." She told him simply.  
  
  
  
Elsewhere..  
  
Michael leaned against the locker next to Maria's, when he saw her coming down the hall, he pushed away from it. Standing with a sullen expression on his face, Michael was questioning himself why he even started up with this, and further more, why he was even here now.  
  
Bracing himself, Michael watched as Maria came closer, her hips swaying ever so slightly but very seductively. She looked nice with the red mini ski- Michael. Get a grip. He ordered himself in a solider like fashion.  
  
"Hey." Michael greeted nonchalantly.  
  
Maria spared him a dismissing glance. "Good bye." Maria said and turned to her locker, only to find Michael blocking her way. "Move away." Maria told him, feeling the temper flaring inside of her.  
  
"Maria, what is your problem?" Michael demanded angrily, this was definitely not the way he saw things working out.  
  
Maria drew in a shocked breath and glared up at him, her lower jaw falling open slightly. "Michael, how daft are you!?" Maria asked her voice rising dangerously. Pushing him roughly to the side, Maria approached her locker, playing around with the combination of the lock, she stopped in the middle and turned on her heal to face him. "If this is your form of an apology, I suggest you go read a book- ANY book. I'm sure you'll be able to find there what the correct criteria's for an apology are." Maria snapped at him, before pulling her locker door open and adequately blocking the view of Michael from her.  
  
Michael wanted to growl. She was probably the must infuriating person in the school, no, scratch that, in all of Roswell. Why of all people, did he have to chose- Michael shook his head and slammed Maria's locker door shut. "You know what? Forget about it. I didn't come here to apologize for ruining your little fantasy-" Michael was cut off abruptly, by the fiery glow in Maria's eyes.  
  
"Fantasy!?" Maria demanded rather loudly, causing the few stray people still roaming the halls to turn around and look at them. "You know what, Michael?" Maria asked stepping right up to him, her eyes narrowed and if looks could kill, Michael would've died a thousand painful deaths in the few seconds she took as a breaker between sentences to breath. "If you were the last. Anything. On any plant, I would let the species die out." Maria said then turned away only to turn back to him.  
  
Looming above her from his 6'1" height down at her 5'4", Michael glared down at her before rolling his eyes. "Maria, what do you want from me?" Michael hissed in low tones, not enjoying the attention they were getting at all. He slowly began to realize that he should have done this somewhere more private.  
  
Maria was the epitome of Shakespeare's description of a woman scorned, and the fury of hell not standing a chance against her. "From you Michael? Nothing."  
  
Michael just stood there not knowing if he should dent the lockers to his right with his fist or shake some sense into Maria, or just plain kiss her and make their way over to the eraser room. Instead, Michael decided non-of the above and to be stand offish. Letting out an actual growl of frustration, Michael threw his hands up in the air in surrender. "You know what Maria? I give up! I really do!" Michael yelled at her and stormed away walking in the opposite direction, pushing some geek out of his way.  
  
Staring after him, Maria had a gloating satisfied smirk on her face. "That's it Evans. Make him suffer." Maria said to herself proudly, as she turned on her heal, with a jump in her step and walked in the opposite direction of Michael's retreat. "A lot."  
  
*~* And the plot thickens. Please review!*~* 


	5. Chicken soup for an alien soul

The next day..  
  
Maria walked over to the new customers who sat down in one of the side booths, two cool glasses of water in either hand, placing them down on the table in front of each, Maria stepped back and smiled a big wide charming smile. "Welcome to the Crashdown!" Maria greeted overly cheery which caused Liz to throw her a questioning look.  
  
"Hi," The woman said and looked up from the menu. "What are your specials?"  
  
Recalling today's specials, Maria began reciting them off of the top of her head. "We have the convention special, Heavenly Hash Special and the Trekkie special." Maria told them, then pulled her green pen with the bobbing alien head out of her pony tail and poised it above her note pad, to write their orders. Sure, it was demeaning working around with all this alien paraphernalia, but it was a job like any other, that brought in the cash, and that is what counted. Especially considering how much the up keep costs on the Jedda.  
  
The man looked down at the menu, searching it intently. "I think I'll have the Tommy Lee Jones Bacon Basket." He read off then looked up at her, to make sure she was writing it down.  
  
The woman after scanning the menu herself, and deciding the specials weren't to her taste, finally decided on a dish. By the time she actually ordered, Maria was close to ordering for her, she was so impatiant. "I'll have the Beam-Me-Up burger and a side order of Saturn rings and chili orbit." The woman said closing her menu.  
  
"Cool." Maria replied, writing the stuff down. Sticking the pen back in her hair, Maria dumped her note pad into the pocket of her apron. Picking up the menus, Maria turned to leave and gave them a saccharine sweet smile. "I'll go put your order in."  
  
Walking away, Maria rolled her eyes. She hated tourist season.  
  
"Oh, wait! We'd like to order for drinks some Blood-of-Alien smoothies!" The man called.  
  
Maria's step faulted, but she quickly recomposed herself and continued in her stride, indicating only with the barest of nods that she heard him. Reaching the diner counter, Maria banged the menus down in front of Liz, who was wiping the stainless steal top clean. "Tell your father, that you are changing the name of that smoothie." Maria told her sharply, then walked over to the kitchen window.  
  
"One artery stuffer, and Cholesterol Burger along with a side order of high blood pressure." Maria called to Michael who was working in the kitchen, flipping burgers.  
  
His reply to the order was to glare at her.  
  
Maria rolled her eyes and walked away towards Liz. Walking up to the cashier, Maria clicked in the order. "He is so infuriating."  
  
Liz who wasn't paying too much attention, except for stocking the fresh Men in Blackberry Pies on the rack, truly didn't know what her best friend was talking about and glanced over quickly at the diners. "The guy?" Liz asked innocently.  
  
"Huh?" Maria asked and followed her friend's line of sight. "Oh, no not him. Though he must have the calorie count of a-" Maria stopped at the scolding look Liz was throwing her, she knew well enough what it meant. It meant: Behave yourself, they are customers. "Michael." Maria corrected her friend shortly.  
  
"What about him?" Liz asked glancing over into the kitchen, to see him splashing some more grease around.  
  
"He just." Maria looked for the word and couldn't find it, so she just decided to settle for a loud groan, that sounded more like a strangled animal.  
  
"Oh." Liz whispered then looked around, it was slow around the Crashdown, now would be a good time to talk and have a good heart to heart. "What's going on with you two?" Liz inquired with a slight grin. Liz could hold in her laughter, could tame her smile, but she had no control over the twinkling sparkling in her eyes from amusement.  
  
Maria actually looked uncomfortable as she waved her hand about dismissivly, tossing her wrist. "We had a... fling thing." Maria explained, a somewhat disgusted look on her face, as she shrugged off what she said by rolling her shoulders back.  
  
Liz let out a small giggle, before clamping her mouth shut, and slightly rude funny noises sounding from her. "Oh is that the scientific term?" Liz asked, her whole face beaming with laughter. She wouldn't point out to Maria that she held out from her on such important information, about her and Michael. She'd let it slide just this once.  
  
Maria glared at Liz, and pressed her already swollen lips tightly together, giving them an even fuller look. "Ha. Funny you know you really should be a comedian with your own stand up act." Maria snapped, then looked at Liz apologetically before moaning out desperately, "Don't go all Max on me about this too." Maria pleaded from her best friend, grabbing Liz's hands and looking at her with a 'you can't do this to me girlfriend' look.  
  
"Max?" Liz inquired innocently, remembering she didn't get Max's answer really about what went on at their home yesterday.  
  
Now it was Maria's turn to grin. The right side of Maria's lips twitched up, as she looked at Liz, like a cat would when playing with a bird and loving every squirming moment. "Ooo. peeked your interest now didn't I?" Maria asked, not managing to keep the gloating out of her voice. Quickly straightening up, Maria arched both brows inquisitively at Liz, looking almost giddy. Narrowing her eyes teasingly at Liz, Maria's grin just widened, passing her tongue across her teeth, she waited to see where that giant deep red blush covering Liz's cheeks would lead- Now the conversation was getting interesting!  
  
"Stop teasing." Liz stammered after recomposing herself. Knowing that if she continued to stare at Maria's hyper happy look, she would turn only a deeper shade of red. So Liz devised the perfect plan: She looked down and began passing her hands nervously over her alien face apron, working the wrinkles out of the plastic material.  
  
"Just returning the favor." Maria said leaning back, obviously proud of herself at causing her best friend to blush like that. Smiling like a goof ball, Maria looked like the epitome of the saying 'the bird who swallowed the cannery'.  
  
Liz coughed and raised her head up at Maria. Rolling her eyes and laughing a short nervous laugh, Liz shrugged and shook Maria by the shoulders. "Anyway! What happened between you two?" Liz demanded, taking a quick peek over Maria's shoulder to make sure that Michael wasn't listening in. And as usual, he wasn't interested enough to do so, so naturally, he wasn't. The cost was clear for them to gossip.  
  
Maria's mood dropped like that. Pouting, Maria rolled her eyes. "A temporary lapse of insanity on my behalf, I must've mixed the wrong oils together, probably got my 'Egyptian rain' oil mixed up with the sandal wood." Maria stammered on, blabbering. "Anyway," Maria said catching Liz's 'get to the point' look. "Instead of calm and relaxation. I got the wrong affect." Maria muttered in complaint, "And the fumes went to my head causing me to find Michael attractive and appealing." Maria finished looking completely disgusted with herself, and feeling like she needed to take a long bath, and scrub every inch of skin Michael had touched off. Maria scowled at the thought, she already did that last night and still felt dirty.  
  
"So you got a whole alibi put together?" Liz asked amused with Maria's expressions.  
  
Maria smiled at Liz, she knew when she was cornered. "Yep."  
  
"Water proof?" Liz joked.  
  
"Flame retardant too." Maria added proudly with a gloat while waving her index finger about like a pointer stick.  
  
"Interesting." Liz giggled.  
  
"Very." Maria said with a grin.  
  
It was like the straw breaking the camel's back, and Liz couldn't stop laughing, even when she got weird looks from some of the customers, digging into their food. Calming herself down, Liz took in a deep breath, calming herself. "Okay, now Maria the truth!" Liz demanded.  
  
Maria groaned loudly and rolled her head over her shoulders. There just was no escaping this, was there?! Maria wondered to herself, then decided to fess up, quickly and painlessly. "Ugh, I don't know, I found him appealing and we had a few moments of passion." Maria confessed to Liz.  
  
"Michael is capable of passion?" Liz asked jokingly, trying to lighten Maria's mood. A sweet little pixie smile playing over her lips, and her eyes sparkling mischievously. Liz was Maria's best friend, she had to at a certain point join in at least slightly, on the boy bashing.  
  
"I know, I was shocked too," Maria said pursing her lips together, in a vain attempt to hold her laughter in. "But anyway," Maria sighed and continued with her story, this time actually letting facial facades fall away and revealed how hurt she was. "I thought we had something going, and he just saw it as a no strings attached type of a deal."  
  
"Oh," Liz whispered and looked down at their silly white sneaker shoes. She didn't realize that it was this bad. Casting a mean look over Maria's shoulder at Michael, Liz continued to look around avoiding Maria's eyes for a moment, until she could come up with a good reply. She didn't and just said the first thing she thought, that came to mind. "I'm sorry."  
  
Maria waved her hands about dismissivly, then ran her fingers through her hair and tossed the long blonde strands over her shoulders. "Nah, its okay girlfriend, I always knew he was a scumbag, its good I reminded myself of it before it got too serious." Maria said, surprising herself with her rationality, and calm logic about the situation.  
  
"Would you have wanted it to?" Liz asked softly, while nervously nibbling on the inside of her cheek.  
  
"Wanted it to what?" Maria asked, scratching the back of her neck and checking out if any of the sugar bowls needed refilling.  
  
Liz's sympathetic look dropped and she gave her best friend a hard look. "Maria, stop playing innocent with me, this is me you are talking too! Liz Parker your best friend!" Liz reminded, in case Maria forgot- which, of course she knew she didn't. "Are you interested in Michael?" Liz asked tentatively.  
  
"The truth?" Maria asked with a scowl, her lower lip standing out a bit more her pout deepening.  
  
"Yes." Liz said simply.  
  
"I was." Maria said low in her voice. Picking up a towel, Maria began wiping the already sparkling clean counter top. Maria tried to avoid Liz's third degree, and even though she knew she should walk away from the situation right away, Maria felt that she needed this girl to girl talk, to try and clear her mind, from all that fog called 'Michael Guerin'.  
  
"But?" Liz pressed on carefully, feeling that she just stepped onto sinking soil.  
  
Maria threw her towel onto the counter and turned 180 degrees to look Liz directly in the eye. "I don't know anymore, I guess if I could crack his thick skull, I would." Maria paused thoughtfully for a moment. "Sure. It's just. I feel sometimes like there is a connection. He throws off these vibrations." Maria began, trying to explain the funny feelings.  
  
"Vibrations.?" Liz asked obviously not following and giving Maria a weird look.  
  
Maria shook her head, and rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that, it isn't an alien thing," Maria whispered urgently, so no one would hear. "You are the one, after all, who has those flashes with Max." Maria pointed out, and if she was a drawing above her head by all rights should've been a bubble with the word 'touché`' in it.  
  
Liz glared. How did they get back to this conversation again? "Okay, well," Liz began, stammering slightly and blinking a bit too much. "This isn't about Max and me." Liz reminded Maria- AGAIN.  
  
"I know, but you are my best friend and he is my brother, I am entitled to be nosey." Maria said excusing her questions and smiling warmly, lovingly at Liz. "I just want to make sure, Max isn't a big a jerk as his best friend. Because, you know how that saying goes. The company you keep." Maria drawled on.  
  
Liz decided to ignore and side step the change of topic. So she just threw Maria a sarcastic look. "Yeah. Nosey. Just not when the conversation is about you, right?" Liz asked, smiling extra sweetly to her.  
  
Maria actually growled at Liz, however playfully. "Cheat."  
  
* * *  
  
Later on in the day.  
  
Max threw his hands up in the air exclaiming, "Women. Aliens. Who understands either species?" Max asked reaching for a handful of chips.  
  
Michael could see where this was going and decided to deliver a preempted strike for his own defense. "Well, at least i don't date outside my species"  
  
So Michael wanted to deliver blows? Fine. Two could play at that game, thinking about it momentarily, Max could even see how this would benefit him in finding out what was really going on between the two. "Nah, you just make out with my sister." Max said throwing Michael a cold glare, before something Michael said dawned on him, and his hardened features softened into confusion and then a brotherly, over protective rage. "Wait, you dated Maria?" Max asked, wondering how this got by him without his finding out. "And stop coming down on Liz like that." Max warned calmly, though beneath the cool exterior  
  
That caught Michael off guard. Where did Max come up with these things? Swallowing his chips down with a Snapple, Michael whirled around to Max. "What? No!" Michael shot back, finding it difficult to swallow not fully mashed up chips.  
  
"Then what did you mean date within your species?" Max asked triumphantly, knowing there were no other aliens around, who Michael could refer to as 'his species'.  
  
Michael sat back down and brought the Tabasco sauce and Snapple bottle over to his lap and unscrewed both. Glaring at Maxwell, Michael's dark brown eyes seemed to darken even more. "I meant..." Michael shrugged, this was pointless. "Maxwell, let it go." Michael shot at him.  
  
Max straightened up and tore his eyes away from the baseball game on TV, to turn to look at Michael. "Look, if you have entered a rel-anything with Maria, i have a right to know." Max told him, then looked back at the screen. "He was safe!" Max yelled at the game, then turned to Michael, who seemed in a darker mood than usual.  
  
Michael ignored Max's talk about the game, and paid attention only to Max's stupid statement. "No, you don't." Michael said spacing each word out carefully, to get his point through.  
  
Max looked petulant. "Yes, i do." Max stated matter-of-factly.  
  
Michael whirled around to face Max straight on, anger and annoyance rising in him. Since when was Maria and him the main discussion? "Max, what do you want?! Details?" Michael demanded, worried on some far off part in the back of his mind that Max would say yes- Talk about a person's image dropping in your mind.  
  
Maxwell jumped at that. Finally, it seemed that Michael was starting to understand. "Yes!" Max called then did a quick recap on what he just said. It came out wrong. "No, wait, i didn't mean like that, i meant how did it all start-" Max began correcting and explaining himself.  
  
That was it. Michael got up, and put the Tabasco sauce and Snapple drink down on the table. "Forget about it." Michael said in solid, don't push my buttons, no arguing tone of voice.  
  
Max got defensive, and got up stalking after Michael in the man's somewhat run down apartment. "She is my sister, show some respect for her if not for me or else Michael." Max said in a harsh, commanding office tone of voice. "It is hard enough that I walked in on you..." Max said and paused putting his temper under control. "But to know that she is only good enough to make out with in your mind...and no I don't want to think anything else was going through your mind besides that...but not good enough to date, doesn't that just make it grand." Max spat, fuming by now.  
  
"I-what? Hey, no." Michael said backing up, how had the ground gotten so shaky so fast? Glaring at Max, Michael stood his fall height, which was a little more then his and glared at him coldly. "I'm going to say this just once." Michael warned, "Whatever was between Maria and I is gone."  
  
"You actually look sad about that." Max whispered his voice mimicking the confusion his mind was in at the expression on Michael's face. All the rage draining out of him, as though it was never there. How could he be mad at Michael when it was obvious the guy was as lost about relationships.  
  
Michael shrugged and composed himself quickly, giving Maxwell a hard glare. "Do not." Michael stated like an argumentative little kid.  
  
Max grinned at Michael. Max was taken back to memories of Michael as a young kid. "Do too." Max shot back, pulling up a barstool besides Michael at the kitchen counter.  
  
"Do not." Michael said playing around with his beloved Snapple and Tabasco sauce again.  
  
Max's whole look was one of 'give me a break'. Looking seriously at Michael, Max took a swig of his Snapple. "Look yourself in the mirror and tell me that." Max said issuing the challenge smugly.  
  
"I don't want to." Michael muttered, then looked at Max. It was time to change the conversation, and seeing how sports was out of the question, what with the game being over, Michael decided to divulge Max with his new plan. "You know how we all," 'we' of course meaning aliens, "love Tabasco sauce on everything? Well, Snapple is the best drink in the whole world. So why not merge the two?" Michael asked, and poured a few drops of Tabasco sauce into the Snapple. "Want a sip?" Michael offered, deciding that if nothing else, would get Max off of the interest in his personal life. Something, which he never had before, and Michael wished would go back to that.  
  
Max wasn't so easily thrown off track. "No." He said declining the drink that. Even to him, the guy who put Tabasco sauce on chocolate cake, seemed disgusting. Back to the subject at hand, Max thought to himself, before approaching it out loud again. "Why don't you want to look yourself in the mirror?" Max asked then pressed on relentlessly- He had caused this rip between Michael and Maria and by what ever powers that be, he was going to fix it! "Why Michael? Because you'll see the truth?" Max demanded.  
  
Michael narrowed his eyes at Max. "No, be reminded I need a hair cut." Michael told him the truth that wasn't missing any irony as is.  
  
Max grinned. He saw an opportunity and he was going to seize it. "You know, Maria gives good hair cuts-" Max begun just to be abruptly, and rudely cut off by Michael.  
  
"No way, Maxwell." Michael said nipping that idea in the bud. "A lot of things i am willing to put in her hands- not my hair." Michael said making a sharp point of that.  
  
Max's eyes narrowed dangerously at his best friend, this was, after all, his sister they were talking about. "What things??" Max demanded to know.  
  
"Never mind." Michael said flatly.  
  
"Michael!" Max raised his voice threateningly. "She is my sister and if you dare hurt her-"  
  
"I wouldn't." Michael told Max and thought to himself, 'well, not intentionally anyway.'  
  
"Good." Max said, now his turn to look like a pouting scowling kid. After an awkward silence, Max turned back to Michael. "So Snapple and Tabasco sauce, huh?" Max asked reached for the bottle mixed with the two inside.  
  
"It's all the rage." Michael joked, in a flat monotone voice, but his smile was genuine.  
  
~*~*~ There you got it! Please review!! ~*~*~ 


	6. Jeannie in a bottle

Later. Much later that night.  
  
Maria paced about her room her bare feet tapping against the plush carpet while her flannel pants whooshed around with every speedy step she took. Flexing her arms around, Maria was edgy. She wasn't sure why, but she was restless. Sighing Maria stopped brushing her hair and put the brush down on her desk and looked over at her window. "Evans, you have got to calm down." Maria told herself then walked over to her almost over spilling tabletop full of oils. She needed something relaxing.  
  
Picking up her Capri and Jasmine oils, Maria carefully dripped their contents into her oil burner. Not wanting to burn a flame while she went to sleep, Maria just put her hand over the burner. Her hand working as heater and changing the molecular structure of the clay so it acted as a hot blanket, getting so hot that it caused to oil to start boiling and bubbling.  
  
Pulling her hand away, she blew on her fingertips as though they were a smoking gun. Being an alien, most certainly had some perks to it, she wouldn't lie about that. The relaxing odors filling the air, and relaxing her tense muscles and nerves, Maria felt quite happy to go to bed at that moment.  
  
Once in bed though, she wasn't so much sleepy as she was bored. There was just so much entertainment that could be extracted from watching her ceiling in the dark. Groaning, Maria reached out her arm and opened the light on her night table, that was muffled out by the long purple veil she had draped over it.  
  
Looking about her room, Maria most certainly was not in the mood for reading a book, or magazine or listening to any music for that matter. So she decided to do one of her more favorite past time activities. Reaching under her bed, Maria pulled out her high school yearbook.  
  
All three of them were aliens, Maria, Michael and Max.  
  
And each one of them had their own special gift.  
  
Max could heal. With a single touch, Max could heal you. Even when the wound was fatale, he did do that for Liz after all, after she was shot. He was exploring other powers too, such as erecting a force filed that nothing could penetrate with a single thought. But still his main gift was healing.  
  
Michael's talents were still raw, but they were powerful non-the less. His main concentration at the moment was to manipulate his powers to make things explode. He could blow up things, big and small or just send powerful, yet invisible blasts.  
  
Maria was the tamer of three. Especially in comparison with both males. As much as she dabbled and explored with her powers, no less then the other guys, Maria enjoyed her favorite game, which was also her strongest power. She could enter people's minds, especially their dreams and spy on them. Maria could just enter your dream and watch it unfold. And right now, that is what she felt like doing.  
  
"Who should I visit tonight?" Maria wondered, as she opened the book, flipping through the pages. Looking for the perfect person to 'drop in' on, when a picture fell out of the book. Wrinkling her forehead in dismay, Maria laid the book down and picked the picture up turning it over.  
  
It was a photograph of her, Max and Michael from last year's camping trip. Looking at it, Maria smiled remembering the fond memories. Passing the tips of her fingers over the photograph, Maria smiled at the memory of all the fun they had.  
  
A sneaky grin then pulled at her lip gloss covered lips. "Let's see what really goes on in that brain of yours, Guerin." Maria whispered, placing the year book down on the floor, and settling back in bed, lightly passing her fingers over Michael's picture and slowly fell asleep, descending at the same time into Michael's dream.  
  
* * *  
  
Michael's dream.  
  
Maria opened her eyes and looked around in shock. "Alright, insert Twilight Zone music here." Maria muttered as she looked around the great hall, that looked like something out of a palace. Draped with thick plush velvet reds, long swooping rolls of purple gauze like material, and gold splattered everywhere. Bad taste another thing splattered everywhere for that matter. Maria stared around in dumbfounded disgust, her lower lip dropping slightly, shaping her mouth in a disbelieving 'o' shape. "Wow." Maria said her voice dripping of sarcasm. "I have entered a whore house Aladdin style..." Maria whispered then noticed someone. Narrowing her eyes, Maria focused and. Her eyes widened in pure astonishment. "Wait, is that... me?" Maria asked her jaw dropping.  
  
Michael sneaked up behind her and glared down at her. Even though the glare was dark, there was some warmth hiding behind the eyes. "Are you dream walking again?" Michael asked deciding to play this out. After all, why not have a little fun with her if you could?  
  
"Me? No. I am... a part of your dream." Maria thought quickly and said it even faster. Trying to come up with some excuse, that would also be her escape route. Make Michael think this was all a dream. Well, it was, but still. Maria never used her powers on Max or Michael, it was dumb thinking they would act like others and not notice her being there. Dammit. Maria cursed to herself.  
  
"No, you're not." Michael corrected her, now his cold hard intense glare turning mocking and playful. It was fun getting Maria flustered. Even more getting her mad. It was a fun enough past time. Nothing illegal about it either and you got a lot of enjoyment and fulfillment out of it. Michael grinned to himself, he could be a commercial for 'why you should annoy Maria'.  
  
"Why would you say that?" Maria asked, not catching onto the naughty glint in his dark brown eyes. Too concentrated was she on convincing him that she is just another figment of his imagination. Looking around she corrected herself, over active imagination.  
  
"I'm already dreaming about you, see that belly dancer?" Michael asked motioning towards the exotic dancer, with a wide proud grin on his face.  
  
Maria narrowed her eyes at him, and pursed her lips together, trying to hold in the nasty comments that she wanted to make. "Well, you are fantasizing about two Maria's." Maria told him, then added closing her eyes before opening again to look at him coolly. "I am not in charge of your psychic damage." She pointed out.  
  
Michael's face hardened again, but the amusement stayed in his eyes. "See, now I KNOW you're dream walking. The Maria in my dream doesn't talk back." Michael told her smugly, then dropped the smile and glared at her coldly, the same kind of a look that would cause anyone to back off. "Get out of here, Maria." Michael ordered her rather then asked of her.  
  
"How dare you!" Maria yelled at him.  
  
"What?!" Michael demanded with equally loud volume.  
  
"Not only did you just insult me, and lower me to the level of-" Maria stopped in the middle and looked behind her, her hair flying over her shoulder before cascading down and settling on her chest and back. Frustrated at what she saw, Maria screamed out of aggravation, she was so frustrated with him. "Have you heard NOTHING about the sexual revolution?" Maria demanded of him.  
  
"Care to teach me?" Michael asked, an inviting playful grin playing over his teasing features.  
  
"You are impossible." Maria said matter-of-factly, giving up on Michael Guerin. He was so hopeless.  
  
"Yeah and you are spying on my dreams." Michael retorted, sitting down on the over stuffed couches lining the hall of his dream.  
  
"Thank god I did! Otherwise... GOD, Michael, you would have defiled me!" Maria said then shook her head, correcting herself and trying to fix all the confusion from this very disgusting and disturbing situation. "Her!" Maria said waving at the replica of her dressed in a Jeannie outfit and dancing on a table seductively. "Belly dancer girl over there." Maria explained then turned a frosty cold glare full of daggers at him. "And you have a very low opinion of my stomach if I might add- it's a lot flatter than that."  
  
"Maria," Michael began with mock tenderness. "I don't know how to tell you this," Michael said knowing well enough to avert his eyes from her before telling her about the defiling part. "Did it already." Michael said, not being able to hide the full of himself grin plastered on his face.  
  
"You are sick." Maria told him disgustedly.  
  
"And you're still here." Michael tossed right back at her. After all, one good turn deserves a next, right?  
  
Maria looked down at him with cool reserve, before sitting down on one of the seats opposite of him. A cool dignified look about her, as she stuck her chin up defiantly. "I have to watch out for the interests of my imaginary figure."  
  
Michael stared. "You-what?!" Michael asked now being the one to grow frsutrated with the situation.  
  
"You heard me." Maria said proudly then pursed her lips and blew him a light kiss. "Mikey-G." Maria teased.  
  
Talk about fun being ruined, Michael grumbled to himself. "Fine. Stay." Michael mouthed out shortly. "But as long as you do, lets share dreams, shall we?" Michael asked leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and grinning wickedly at her, then ordered the many servants around to bring them some beverages and snacks to nibble on.  
  
"You made yourself sultan?" Maria asked in dismay, finding the idea amusing, as well as disturbing beyond belief at the same time.  
  
"Yep." Michael answered proudly, as he leaned back into the plush welcoming pillows and relaxed while the servants scurried around him filling out his orders.  
  
Maria almost balled. "God, can you ever hear me above your over inflated ego?" Maria asked rolling her eyes.  
  
If there was one thing about Michael, it was that he wouldn't sit back and be insulted. "Look, you trespassed onto my dream turf-"  
  
"Since when do dreams have borders?" Maria responded coolly.  
  
Michael's glare deepened and he could feel the blood in his veins begin to boil. "You don't see me walking in on you and finding-" Michael ranted just to be cut off by Maria.  
  
"Nothing!" Maria yelled at him, a little too quickly in her defense.  
  
"Well, still you don't find me doing that." Michael shot back just as quickly, driving at his point.  
  
Maria's hot headedness cooled and she smiled at him all too pleasantly. "That's because you can't." Maria pointed out to him simply.  
  
"Hypothetically I could." Michael muttered in his own defense.  
  
Maria looked at him, with big puppy dog eyes sympathetically, before her harsh personality and tart returned to her voice. "Michael, hypotheticals and you are an oxymoron." Maria informed him flatly.  
  
"Maria, you are still here nibbling on my dream grapes." Michael pointed out, ignoring her previous jab, and deciding it would just be best to get rid of her and be mean and blunt- As usual.  
  
"Michael, you are still ordering dream Maria to strip." Maria said simply, her voice slicing at him again and her eyes darting between 'dream Maria' and Michael, expecting him to order her to stop, or do something, she knew he didn't know the meaning of chivalry but how about common decency?  
  
"You want to instead?" Michael offered grinning like the scoundrel he was, and popping a grape into his mouth, chewing it with a smug full of himself grin never once fading away from his face.  
  
"You're a pig." Maria told him with a disgusted sneer.  
  
Michael grinned triumphantly. "And yet you are still here." Michael pointed out, enjoying the flustered look Maria was wearing. It suited her and made him feel good seeing that he got to her. "Now Maria, as for that 'pig' comment. Compliments will get you everywhere, you know that, try to control yourself around me-" Michael continued not being able to stop, he wanted to see just how many buttons he could press on her before she exploded.  
  
"Try to control myself?!" Maria yelled at him, not letting him talk. "Michael Guerin! Because you couldn't have the real me, your warped psyche made you in charge of me and ordered me to do things with you! Because no way, with my own free will would I ever-" Now it was Maria's turn to be cut off abruptly by Michael.  
  
"Eraser room." Michael corrected her nonchalantly, tossing another grape into his mouth.  
  
"Lapse of sanity." Maria counter acted, sitting with her arms folded over her chest and throwing him looks that could kill.  
  
"It would never hold up in court." Michael said, leaning back more comfortably against the cushions, now she was trapped and he was the one in charge of the playing field.  
  
"Are we in court?" Maria asked rhetorically, giving Michael a chilling look.  
  
"We could be. This is my dream after all." Michael told her looking around at the interesting reality his subconscious had conjured around him. Maybe Maria did have a point before, he really did have an over active imagination, he really should stop reading Arabian Nights Tales.  
  
"Aren't people suppose to angelic when they sleep?" Maria snapped, disgruntled that his subconscious was just as bad as he ever was.  
  
"Only on the outside." Michael explained simply.  
  
"That Michael, you can be a poster child for. I can see it now: Don't believe the outside looks, inside I am a bastard!" Maria said in a raised voice, throwing her hands up in exasperation. He was impossible. Simple.  
  
"Maria, shut up." Michael snapped at her, dumping the empty vine of grapes into the golden platter before him.  
  
Maria rolled her eyes, and averted her sight to look away from Michael taking in their surroundings- it was different. That was for sure, Maria only wanted what porn movie this all came out of. Maria almost choked on what she saw. Maria actually rubbed her eyes because she was sure they were fooling her and pulling tricks on her. "LIZ?! LIZ?!? Liz is in your dream too!??" Maria demanded, shouting loud enough to cause one of the imagery slaves to drop the golden dishes he was carrying. "What?" Michael demanded of her not seeing what bothering about this was. Her imaginary image had her best friend there to keep her company. What was the problem?  
  
"Well, wow, Michael," Maria said looking somewhere between pissed off and hurt as she looked from the guilty party to the non-existing one.  
  
Now Michael was beginning to catch on. And oddly enough, he felt his chest constricting and a weird urge to explain himself. "Hey look, it's not what you think." Michael tried to explained sitting back up.  
  
"Yeah?" Maria snapped, not asking as much as throwing at him. "I think you have a thing for my brothers girlfriend who isn't your species..." Maria began, remembering all of Michael's arguments against the two's relationship quite clearly.  
  
"No! It's not that. she... Maria, Liz is hot." Michael excused and remembered, Maria isn't a guy, and she wouldn't get it, so he decided he had to make up for it quickly before any more damage was done. "But note, you are the staring role in my dream." Michael pointed out to her, complimentary.  
  
"HA! So you admit it!" Maria squeaked happily, jumping up and down and pointing at Michael triumphantly.  
  
"Admit what?!" Michael demanded, standing up as well, his face mirroring just how much he didn't understand the situation and wasn't following Maria's line of thought in the least.  
  
"That you are obsessive about me." Maria told him smugly, standing up to him. Raising her chin proudly, and narrowing her eyes at Michael. Touché! She won. This was a simple checkmate no question asked.  
  
"Evans, You have lost your mind." Michael said in disgust, ignoring the maybe truth behind Maria's words and turning away from her smug look, his whole face in a deep scowl.  
  
"I lost my mind?" Maria demanded from him, how daft was he?! "You are the one dreaming that Liz is undressing me- okay, you know what? Order them to stop. Right now! NOW Michael! Michael!" Maria began screaming her voice rising and waving her hands frantically towards the overly sexed up male dream scene.  
  
"Or what?" Michael shot back, grinning proudly. Now he was in control again and he liked it. Plus, it was too much fun seeing Maria get so flustered. He really did wonder when he would learn his lesson and stop antagonizing her.  
  
Maria narrowed her eyes at him. Time to show him just how conniving and cruel the female gender, be it whatever species could be. "Do you really want to find out?" Maria demanded with chilling coldness and calm. "I can enter dreams Michael, who is to say i can't manipulate them and from now on, you'll only dream about... Alex naked." Maria warned pressing her lips together in a tight line and watching Michael from under heavily lidded eyes. Her poker face not revealing any emotions or expression.  
  
"You're bluffing." Michael shot quickly, not trusting her in the least. She was lying. And Maria wouldn't dare, even if she could, which he was sure she really couldn't. Maria wouldn't dare do that to him, because he. Michael was actually worried somewhere deep inside, but you couldn't tell that from the cool put off look about him, that flowed around him. Michael looked very heartless, and tall and dark about him, as he loomed over her, just waiting for her to break. He knew she would. Maria sucked at poker.  
  
"Try me." Maria offered, folding her arms across her chest, and bending her knee a bit, her bare foot tapping against the marble floor, her hard features never softening once as she continued to challenge him. He better call Liz off of dream Maria, or Maria was going to butt in.  
  
Michael and Maria had a stand off of stares that seemed to last forever. Neither pulling away nor blinking even once as the glared intensified and deepened between the two.  
  
Michael was oddly enough, actually the first one to crack. Michael actually began laughing and he shrugged his shoulders back, his laugh still continuing. Finally getting the somewhat bitter laugh under control, Michael stopped laughing and turned to look back down at Maria with a full of himself grin.  
  
Maria was infuriated. "Get that smug smile off of your face Guerin." Maria hissed, dropping her arms to the sides and clenching her hands into tight fists.  
  
Michael stepped closer and looked down at her teasingly. "I can't help it. You bring it out in me." Michael told her his voice full of confidence and his grin smug.  
  
Maria was fuming. She was sure she must've had smoke or at least steam flowing out of her ears, she could feel the blood beginning to rush to her cheeks. Maria took a step closer, so that she stepped right in front of Michael. "The smug over grown overly inflated ego? Well, gee thanks, that makes me feel just great." Maria hissed then punched him on the shoulder.  
  
Michael's grin fell away and he looked at her sincerely, his dark brown eyes warm. It almost looked as though Michael for the first time allowed facades to shed away and reveal his true self. "No, the smile." Michael told her softly.  
  
Maria stopped mid-punch and her lower lip dropped, as her eyes widened with surprise. "What?" Maria asked softly, sure that she either heard him wrong or that he was plotting something. Michael would never admit something like that or be so nice.  
  
Michael didn't answer her, he just stepped closer and encircled her in his arms before lowering his head and kissing her tenderly. As his arms wrapped around her closer, the rich colors around them began to pour, twist and milt into each other, until they lost of any color and turned into a soft mist rising up around them and swirling about their feet. 


	7. What happens when they wake?

Just when the kiss began deepening..  
  
They both woke up and were violently pulled out of the shared dream.  
  
Maria sat up abruptly in bed, her heart and mind racing. Not sure if she should be angry at the damn boy or feeling all warm and happy inside, Maria looked around her and saw the picture she used to enter his dream. Picking it up between both hands, Maria glared at it through thick lashes. "Ugh. Michael." Maria muttered then tore the picture up and flung it to either side of her and fell back with a loud thud against her feather stuffed pillows and attempted to sleep. It was 3 a.m. She was not going to dwell about Michael Guerin or what he said or anything like that right now. In the light of day, at a normal time, around like. 12 noon, when her mind caught up with the rest of her, she would figure out what it all meant. For now, Maria was content to just lie down and slip slowly into a tender warm, happy sleep.  
  
Michael on the other hand, was lying in bed quite contended. His arms folded under his head, a dumb grin plastered over his face, he had made his point, and wasn't really interested in sleep anymore. It didn't seem to have what the dream before had had. So instead, Michael found himself actually enjoying watching the textures of his pealing, falling-apart ceiling. "I really should fix that." Michael muttered out loud, before returning to silent reminiscing. 


	8. You might be blonde, but you are not Buf...

A few hours later, at school.  
  
"Liz, I'm telling you, here's a chauvinistic freak." Maria argued to Liz, as they walked side by side towards their lockers.  
  
"Don't you think you are exaggerating just a tiny bit?" Liz asked peeking at Maria from the side of her eyes, without turning to face Maria fully.  
  
"If anything, I am understating." Maria said flatly. There was no arguing with her now. Pursing her lips together. Maria adjusted her hair back behind her ear, trying to fix some of the loose strands back into the fancy twist-and-fold pony tail she had some how managed to make in the morning over breakfast, and her mother's -once more attempt at being a Martha Stewart wanna-be.  
  
Liz smiled sympathetically at Maria. She was her best friend. Maria was entitled to her playing along with this little game. And as much as Liz was controversial about Michael, after all under all of his rudeness he did pull through many a time and showed a softer side underneath. So Liz sighed, "Maria you are the queen of dramatics-" Liz was going on.  
  
Maria broke in by placing her hand over Liz's mouth to hush her. Giving her friend a direct, give me a break look. Maria inhaled deeply, she was going to break many illusions right now. "Liz," Maria began nicely, still keeping up her tough chick act and giving her friend a 'ye young and innocent lass' type of a treatment. So what if Liz was probably finding it hard to breathe. "Michael dreamt about you too."  
  
At that Liz stopped, her eyes widened in a doe like fashion and her lower lip dropped slightly, exposing her slight over bite. She fought for a while, with finding the right word till finally she managed to murmur out. "W-what?" Liz stuttered somewhat flabbergasted at the very notion that. Michael. Ew.  
  
Maria sighed and held Liz's face in the palms of her hands. "Oh, I'm embarking on the corruption of innocence." Maria sighed dramatically, then pouted, her lower lip sticking out. Maria looked directly into Liz's big brown eyes. "Michael, is a male pig. And you were his pleasure slave."  
  
Liz's whole jaw dropped, and if it wasn't for Maria's supporting hands holding her face gently between them, it probably would have fallen down to the floor, and right through it. "What?!?" Liz squeaked her voice reaching a new soprano high.  
  
Maria smacked her lips together and closed her eyes. Her long black eyelashes lying upon her cheek, as she nodded slowly and solemnly. "Yep. I know. You should thank me. I put a stop to it." Maria said extra chivalrously. "And thus saved your virtue." Maria added proudly, with her chin held up high and a rather proud expression on it.  
  
Liz was speechless. Shrugging off Maria's hands, rolled her arms in disgust, scrunched her nose and began a long row of 'ew ew ew ew', shuddering and shaking her arms in disgust, Liz kept letting out little squeals of horror as she skipped off to the girls bathroom. She had to wash herself. She felt tainted. "Oh. Ewww." Liz moaned in despair.  
  
Maria sighed and leaned against the lockers. Slumping her shoulders forward she sighed and lowered her head. "I really should've had her smell some peach oil before telling her. It would have changed the whole out come of this." Maria murmured, before getting a hold of her courage once more and moving into the bathroom. "Okay. Liz," Maria began then made a face and looked under one of the stalls. Walking over to the door she abruptly knocked on it rather loudly. "Okay twinkle toes, the bathroom has been closed up. Move it!" Maria called, stepping to the side she tapped her foot eagerly against the floor until the girl came out, then swung her by the elbow away from the sinks. "Sorry, bacteria was found in the water. How about you just go now? This is private time. Oh, and make sure no one comes in. K? Kay." Maria rushed out in one sentence, as she slammed the door shut behind the weird stall girl.  
  
Maria turned understanding and compassionate eyes, along with a very pouted face to Liz. "Come on, Liz. It's not that bad. Just, breathe." Maria encouraged her friend, as she came to stand behind her and collected her hair into a pony tail.. Just in case Liz's up-choke reflex would kick in at that moment. "Is it because he's- A Czechoslovakian?" Maria asked at last, biting her lower lip with some worry. Czechoslovakian? Alien? What was the difference. They were both code names.  
  
Liz spun around and gave Maria a really nasty dirty look. "Maria." Liz said in her soft voice, which was now fueled with silent hurt. "You know it isn't that. I mean, I have you, Max. It's just. Well, no offence, but Michael is really just not my, um, cup of tea. Alright?" Liz asked then turned back to the mirror to examine herself. "I just need to breathe. Drink a lot of water. Breathe. A few smelling salts and a four by four." Liz explained with a slight frown marring her features. Liz smiled faintly and when she turned to look at Maria, she couldn't believe her widening brown eyes and started laughing. "Oh my god.. Maria!" Liz squealed, as she took in the contents of Maria's now displayed before her open bag.  
  
"We have everything you asked for right here. Breathing? Well, you seem to be doing good just on your own, as for smelling salts, they're oils but they will do the exact same trick. And the-" Maria was cut off, by Liz's expression and how she was fingering the veil of water.  
  
"Holy water? Maria. Do I even want to know?" Liz asked turning an exasperated expression to her friend. "I mean, I know Michael is kinda weird, sick, demented, freak," Liz then added in a rush before continuing with her original line of thought. "But, he's no Dracula."  
  
"True. Dracula, only bit women while they were sleeping. He didn't dream of them as half naked belly dancers, all there for his pleasure." Maria added. Looking into the mirror she fixed her make up quickly, with the tip of her finger. "But, I figure this much. If it worked for Buffy, it can work for us. I mean, who is to say that this, a row of garlic, sun light and a cross or stake won't drive Michael away?" Maria asked, grabbing the bottle back from Liz and dumping it into her bag.  
  
Liz threw Maria a look. "You've given this way too much thought." Liz observed finally getting over the shock of Michael's dream. "Now, repeat after me. You are not Buffy. You are not Buffy."  
  
Maria sighed and looked quite forlorn. "I am not Buffy."  
  
"There you go! Oh, Maria?" Liz asked at last, a soft smile on her lips.  
  
"Yeah?" Maria asked, closing her bag and tossing it back over her shoulder.  
  
"Thanks for saving my virtue from Michael." Liz teased, and when they both thought about it, they burst into giggles. "Alright. We still need a four by four." Liz joked, rubbing a fallen tear away from her eye.  
  
Maria leaned against the sink and thought about it. A musing, conspiring, look in her eyes. "No. See, I want something more. Well, I want revenge. And not just any revenge. No sirry-bob." Maria said, running her long fingers lightly over the pale skin of her neck. "I want Michael to be jealous. Confused. Angry."  
  
"You want revenge." Liz finally summed up, a pixie like smile pulling at her lips. "And I know just the thing." Liz said, eager to her Maria out. After all, it wasn't only her honor Michael had ruined. It was Maria's. And, what was better female bonding then getting back at a slim ball? "Um, look, you won't tell Max that I'm helping you right? I mean, he might get the wrong idea an-" Liz stopped when she saw the look on Maria's face. Shit. She gave her an idea.  
  
"Hmm.. Telling Max. Option number one. But." Maria stopped and looked at Liz. "You have a plan. Tell me." Maria encouraged, now bubbling with excitement. "Liz.." Maria purred out, squeezing her friend's cheeks. "I love this face. You are wonderful. I know you have a plan, and you look so scheming. I've never known this side of you before. Oh wise one. Inspire me!" Maria said over dramatically.  
  
"Good. I get it from being around you. You were the one who 'accidentally' spilled a cherry coke on Michael for getting you a thong last Christmas." Liz abandoned her stance by the sink, to fetch a book from her back pack.  
  
"No, see Liz, he didn't get me **anything** last Christmas. When I confronted him about it, he said he was thinking -I repeat, thinking- about getting me a thong. Why do I even bother?" Maria sighed the last. Michael was a lost cause.  
  
Liz waved her hand dismissivly at Maria. They would deal with the Christmas gift issues at another time. She opened up the book and handed it to Maria. "Maria, meet Mr. Pavlov." Liz said with an extraordinarily straight face.  
  
Maria looked at Liz as though she lost it. "Huh?"  
  
"Pavlov was a sociologist or psychiatrist kind of guy. He did tests of dogs. He would ring a bell and show the dogs food, making them drool. Eventually, the dogs learned the bell meant there was food, and started to salivate at the sound of a bell. It's positive-negative reinforcement. Whenever Michael does something good, give him a reward. Like a kiss. Whenever he does something bad, punish him. I just don't know how to do that part...."  
  
Maria thought about it. Liz lost it. That was for sure... But she did have a point, and when the wheels in Maria's 'wicked' little mind spun, she almost felt bad for the alien scum ball. "You know... I couldn't agree more. And you know, it just so happens... I have the exact idea of how to do that, punish him that is." Maria added then got up and moved towards the door. "Just let me get my Jasmine oil, its good for prompting thoughts and motives, and then we'll talk. You will of course be my partner in crime further on, won't you? Or must I go into the details of the sensual love groove dance you did for him?" Maria asked with a piercing gaze.  
  
"Hey, you wouldn't know who Pavlov was without me! I'm the brains of this operation...." Liz paused and seemed to lose some of her confidence. "Just, ah, just don't let Max know that and be aware that I'm not going to be the one who's going to punish him or reward him. That's your job."  
  
"Deal." Maria said smugly, then opened the door. "Come on Liz, time's a wasting."  
  
Liz stared after Maria. "Why am I starting to feel bad for Michael?" Liz wondered softly to herself under her breath, as she followed her friend through the halls of West Roswell High. 


	9. Plastic fork? Or sharp tipped shoe?

Side Note: Hiya!!! I know it's been a looooong time. But I'm back now (with my wonderful Joanie of course!)! I hope you all enjoy the story from where it was left off! Fun to come! I promise! Oh and I don't own Roswell. ::nods::  
  
A few days later.  
  
Maria sat on the cafeteria table, the last place Michael would ever be spotted in. The school cafeteria. What better place to plan out their little Czechoslovakian revenge? "Alright," Maria begin very business like. Mind focused and primed, aimed on her goal. "I've made a check list of our to-do revenge list." Maria said and spread a copied list out before Liz on the table. "We have covered all bases." Maria said, the evidence of how proud she was of herself reflecting very loudly in her voice. "Fixing his dreams to all he dreams about is Richard Simmons- Check. Though, I gotta admit from Richard's point of view.. It's becoming obsessive." Maria informed Liz, looking all too innocent as she gossiped. "Well, I do have to be there you know. In the background. To keep the connection going. I'm the AT&T of dreams!" Maria said proudly enjoying her title. "Secretary of AT&T Dreams Inc. Catchy, ain't it?" She asked with a half smile. "Anyway, he is losing sleep- Big time. The girls bathroom has a small note on the wall warning away from Michael's' suspicious rash." Maria said allowing her voice to trail off. "And the men's bathroom have a phone number for 'Hot, Fun, Lovin'' with Michael's number at the bottom." Maria said then jumped off of the table and placed the paper on the table. "As for the last, yet to be completed phase of our plan." Maria said and tossed her short hair back glamorously then struck the pose. Black tank top, low hanging hippi red skirt in place. Maria looked ready to move in for the kill. "Do you approve my leader?" Maria asked sliding onto the bench beside Liz.  
  
Liz smiled as she eyed Maria up and down, proud of her best friend, though she wished the circumstances could have been slightly better. "He's never going to know what hit him. Poor boy." She took a sip of her bottled water, reading the lists spread out in front of her. "Given the context of his dream, I completely approve of the Richard Simmons, and I can see how the rash will deter other girls from trying to sink their teeth in your man, but how does the washroom in the guy's bathroom keep him from being a jerk or running away?" she inquired. "Or are you just doing that to annoy him completely and take vast amount of pleasure in his obvious pain as drunk teenage boys phone him up at one in the morning?" She paused, considering something else. "Of course, he might just be glad to get wasted boys phoning him up at odd hours of the night if it keeps Richard Simmons away."  
  
Maria practically glowed. "See? I am doing it to save him. From the bottom of my heart, I am helping him." Maria said proudly, not hiding the vixen under her skin. "That and I get immense pleasure out of those dark smudges under his eyes in the morning..." Maria said looking through the crowd of people. "If he was a better Czechoslovakian he'd been able to block the phone calls I bet... Oh well." Maria said fluffing her hair. "So what now Yoda?" Maria asked.  
  
She tapped her pen on the cafeteria table, her psychology book open before her. "Well, as much as you like teasing him, Maria, this isn't behavior modification. If we want him to start being nice to you, don't you? Well, every time he's nice to you, you have to kiss him. Every time he's mean to you, you have to punish him." Her shoulder slumped slightly in the chair. "Or do I not want to know how you plan on punishing him?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm gonna pull out the whip. God Liz!" Maria said then slouched in the chair herself glaring at the orange before her. "I have no idea how to do that. I mean... He's so... 'Eh, whatever'. How can I irk him openly and punish him that way?" Maria demanded to know. "You know, if you would just talk to Max this would all be a lot easier."  
  
Her brown eyes widened slightly in surprise. "I thought you didn't want me to talk to Max! Maria, if you want me to talk to Max about Michael being nicer to you, then I can. But if it's going to be about you and him and a quickly budding relationship, then you should probably talk to Michael yourself. He's your brother, after all. Talking to Max isn't the problem. It's getting Michael to listen."  
  
"No!" Maria said almost choking on her Soy drink. "God no. What budding relationship? The guy is a jerk. He can't even say relationship without throwing up or cracking up laughing. The most we had was... A few passionate moments in the eraser room, my room, his room, my living room, the classroom, the jeep... Alright, it might have been more then a few, but relationship? Do we need to remember the dream again, Liz?" Maria asked with an arched brow, if her best friend needed her memory jarred she'd do it for her. "What I meant, you oh-so-happy-in-love-with-my-brother- girlfriend-of-mine, was find out how I can punish Michael, where it hurts." Maria explained then felt her jaw about to drop open. "Oh... My god! What is space boy doing here?! Did he get lost on his way to.. Wait, he's at school, what part of school does he know?" Maria asked grabbing Liz's forearm and twisting the girl around so they both had their backs to Michael. "Just act cool. Maybe he won't see us." Maria said pulling out her Lotus oil, sniffing it and applying drops of it behind her ears and wrists.  
  
She quickly shuffled the papers under her textbook, so Michael wouldn't see them if he came to sit with them. Her eyes watched him as he got in the lunch line. "Ah! He's actually daring enough to eat the tuna surprise? Then again, with the amount of Tabasco sauce he puts in his food, it probably kills anything living in there... one thing's for sure! You certainly can't hit him in the stomach! Hey!" She lowered her voice, and felt positively cruel when she said, "What about hitting him in the ego? We could... I don't know... start rumors about him... oh! No! About you!"  
  
Maria lowered her head, also conspiringly, "What do you mean?" She whispered back.  
  
"Well," Liz started, "we certainly can't hit him anywhere else. Every time he screws up, we start a rumor about you. About how... say... you were making out with somebody and they were so bad at undoing your bra strap, that you had to start wearing sports bras so he wouldn't get confused. You know! Something like that! Michael hears it, we put enough detail in it that he knows without a doubt the rumor is about him, like having it take place on a bed of his description or something, and he'll automatically think it's him their talking about! He'll also think that it's you who started the rumors, but you have a secret alibi. Max! What girl in their right mind would admit that she was fooling around with her boyfriend's best friend under his very nose?"  
  
Maria thought about it for a second, trying to get through the fishy ways of Liz's thinking. Finally, making sense of it all Maria leaned back and away from Liz a whole new appreciation in her eyes for Liz. "I like you! I really like you!" Maria said with a cruel, cruel grin. "Are you sure Max realizes you aren't that much of an angel? 'Cause girlfriend, those horns are starting to show!"  
  
Her smile was compromised by her proud eyes and red cheeks. "I'm not trying to be evil," she said. The expression disappeared as she stabbed a couple of leaves of Romaine lettuce. "I'm just trying to help out a friend. And... and maybe do a little science experiment while I'm at it...." she added.  
  
Maria grinned and wrinkled her nose impishly. "Geek- Oh! Here's heading this way! What do we ta-" Before Maria could finish the sentence Michael was in hearing range. Licking her lips, Maria grinned and decided to prove why she should win the Oscar of 2003. "Anyway, so Jeff that college guy I went out with on Saturday? He took me out to this real fancy Italian restaurant, all romantic, we danced up real close and- Oh, Michael." Maria said looking over him with feigned boredom mixed with disgust. "Feeling lucky?" Maria asked eyeing the Tuna Surprise. "'Cause you don't need to fake being sick you know, people are just so use to you not being here they don't call your name in attendance."  
  
"Ha. Ha. Ha." Michael said, sitting down at the table across from the girls. He pulled a little container of tobasco on the tune surprise until the little bottle was completely empty. For good measure he gave it one or two more shakes, to make sure every last drop was out. "So, what's all this about Maria's hot Italian date?"  
  
Liz buried herself in her homework, not wanting to get involved in the lover's quarrel.  
  
Maria narrowed her eyes at him, Liz's sudden silence not escaping her notice either. "Nothing that you would understand except for the perfect... Connection. Plus, a great kisser." Maria added with a wink then turned back to Liz, the girl was too drown in her text book. "Anyway, Jeff is a college student."  
  
"Oh, Maria got herself an older man. Well, I'm sure that deep down, I'm applauding you." His sarcastic voice was overplayed when he touched his heart, as if it bled for her. "Let me guess. He was completely and totally the opposite of me."  
  
Maria narrowed her eyes at him, dying to shove that tuna surprise where the sun doesn't shine. Instead, she smiled brightly. A little too brightly. "Actually, no. Why, you both have brown hair- Though he learned to comb his, the unwashed masses look has been out for ages, Michael." Maria commented then looked him over again. "Oh, and you both have two eyes, a nose, a mouth."  
  
"And legs, toes, fingers, so on and so forth," Liz continued. She'd decided it was her turn to add fuel to the fire. She gave a tiny laugh, hoping it wasn't too fake. "I tell you, Maria, if I wasn't so happy with your brother, I might just be jealous!"  
  
Michael looked between the two girls. "Funny, but Max didn't seem too happy with you last time I checked, Liz. You two haven't gone at it like ferrets in a paper bag since... when was it? He says you spend all your time working on a science project. And as for you Maria.... well, what can I say about Maria?"  
  
Maria glared at him like a harpy risen from hell. So long Oscar. Instead of punishing him the way Liz had suggested she decided to go for the more straight on approach- She kicked him in the shin. Hard. "Shut up, Michael!" Maria yelled at him then turned to Liz. "Ignore him, Max- Unlike Michael- Is a gentleman and doesn't care only about his own physical needs. And I swear if he goes on an on about you one more time with that dreamy look in his eyes... I'll puke." Maria said then turned to look at Michael with ice cold blue eyes. "On you."  
  
Rubbing his shin under the table, Michael's gaze was no less than a glare. "Does your Italian college lover know about this mean streak of yours, Maria? Or your deranged fantasies, for that matter? Because I sure as hell wish I had known about them before I had ever gotten myself involved with you and twisted little world where the whole world revolves around you!"  
  
"World revolves around me?! You are one to talk Michael! God! Could you be any more self absorbed?? Hello??? Michael! Can you hear me over your rapidly growing ego?? I swear! You are starting to form your own gravitational pull to rival the earth's with that over inflated ego of hot air. Thank god, I wised up and dumped your sorry ass." Maria shot back then smirked. "And yes, Jeff knows. He likes it. He thinks it shows I've got spunk- See, unlike you Michael, Jeff actually talks with me... Isn't interested in just one thing. Which reminds me, how's the hand doing, lover?" Maria asked seeing herself in her mind's eye like a serpent with a jilted tongue. This was going all wrong, and she could feel her points falling fast and while she thought this another voice rose up in her head: Why even bother? He is so not worth all of this.  
  
Michael bit his bottom lip to keep from saying anything else. "Have a nice day, Maria. Liz, it was nice talking to you. Try not to get lost in your textbook." He rapidly walked away from them, his steps fiery compared to his usual careless stride.  
  
Liz sighed heavily,. glancing at her best friend from the corner of her eye. "Well.... that could have gone worse. You could have stabbed him with a plastic fork or something. . . . ."  
  
"It wouldn't have hurt so much." Maria gritted out from between clenched teeth then groaned and threw her head back, collapsing against the back of the chair. "Okay, so from your point of view, which right now should be more rational then mine- God, why did I use this oil and not pine? It would've calmed me so much more and kept my temper low...- Anyway, between 1-10, 10 being the worst... Just how bad did that go?" Maria asked rolling her head to the side looking over at her friend with a forlorn look, before bursting into giggles. "'Cause see, in my book that was like... a 12."  
  
She swished the water around in her bottle. "Well, if you were trying to make him made, a one. You definitely succeeded, there. If you were trying to treat him nicely until he started ragging on you... a five. A little quick to anger, but he deserved it. He did start it after all. He didn't need to be so sarcastic with you." She then stopped and then about what she'd just said. Michael not being sarcastic was about as impossible as the sun not being warm!  
  
Maria huffed and pulled her bag getting up from the table. "Yeah, it's all his fault- That's how I am going to look at things." Maria said however still looking, even though cheerful and bright, somewhat upset. "Should I even bother trying to talk to him about it, or not?"  
  
She thought about her friend's question a second before she nodded. "I know I'm certainly not envious of your shoes. He's about as friendly as a rattlesnake in these snits of his, and twice as mean. But the secret to any rela.... camaraderie is communication." She nodded with a mournful look on her face. "I'm afraid you are going to have to talk to him, Maria."  
  
Maria looked like the wind had just been punched out of her. "Well... Damn." Maria said bluntly looking at Liz. Both staring at each other in silence, before laughing. "So... Puppy went off to lick his wounds- Wrong mind set to go with... Where would he be?" Maria wondered smoothening out the tank top. "And, do I look good? 'Cause he only saw me sitting down." Maria said with a wink then stretched her arms over her head. "The chase has begun!" 


	10. Are we ya know talking?

Side Note: * sniff *well! The end is here! This is the last chapter, I hope everyone likes it! Please review and let me know what you think! Glad everyone has enjoyed the story so far! Alas, I don't own Roswell, however, in my dungeon I do keep Michael.  
  
Michael saw Maria following him outside. His tuna surprise, covered in Tabasco sauce or not, suddenly lost most of its appeal. He glanced back over his shoulder, and nearly dropped the tray. Maria... damn! He took a few more steps forward, managing to make it to the picnic bench before the thought struck again.  
  
Damn, but Maria looked good in that outfit! He jealously wondered if that's the kind of outfit she'd worn when she had gone out with that college guy. 'If there really was a college guy. . . ..'  
  
Maria thought she had caught Michael's' eye for the briefest of seconds. {Good. I'm unnerving him.} She thought to herself and hiked her skirt a little lower, just to show off her perfectly flat stomach a little better. When you've got it... Use it.  
  
That was her motto.  
  
Sauntering over to the picnic bench, Maria slipped into place beside Michael and leaned with her elbow on the table and looked up at him. "Michael, I implore you- Save yourself. Don't eat the tuna surprise."  
  
He didn't want to, but it wasn't because of her asking him not to. He'd lost his appetite when he saw her tight shirt and short skirt. 'Maybe I should start picturing Maria like this... since the belly dancer dream really isn't working. At all.' He nodded and pushed the tuna surprise folding his hands on the table. Michael almost looked civilized for a second. "Whatever you say, Maria. So, why did you follow me out here? Wanted me to tell me more about your latest hot date?'  
  
Maria grinned. 'Score. I got you, Guerin.' She thought to herself then waved her hand, dismissing that idea, though it was appealing to go on and on about your imaginary perfect boyfriend. "I do have SOME tact, Michael." Maria said pleased that he had listened to her and moved the tuna away. "Well, basically..." Maria began and felt nervous.  
  
Should she even be doing this? Why did she let Liz talk her into following him? If she was going to be her latest lab experiment, she should at least be paid for this humiliation to come... 'Swallow it up, Evans.' she thought to herself. "I came to apologize for kicking you." She said in a rush.  
  
"Is that all?" Michael didn't know what to think about her apology, and his tone reflected it.  
  
Maria huffed. "Well, I figured we should, talk."  
  
He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I hate to point this out to you, but we're talking now." He paused a moment, and felt suspicion in the back of his mind. "Or was there something specific you want to talk about?"  
  
Maria gritted her teeth. She had forgotten how difficult Michael could be. But that's what she liked about him, wasn't it? The challenge. And the kissing. Plus, the guy does know how to use his hands. "Just... Stuff. You've been looking like shit lately, what with those smudges under your eyes and all- You okay?" Maria ventured innocently.  
  
"I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately," he answered. Maria's sweet expression made him feel nervous, and when he felt nervous, he felt defensive. Or was it aggressive? "You going to Mom me now, Maria? Check up on me every time I look a little tired? Although if you ever wanted to come into my room late at night, I don't think I'd mind."  
  
Maria had two forces warring inside of her: The temptation to say, 'alright sailor, see you later' and the itch in her hand to smack him across the face. "Isn't Romeo suppose to be the one climbing Juliet's terrace?" She finally managed then wondered why she remembered that scene. Oh, of course, Liz and Max.  
  
"Romeo only had a nurse to contend with, not his best friend," Michael pointed out, completely forgetting that Romeo would have been killed on sight by the Capulets had he been seen. Obviously he was not tired enough yet to forget everything he knew, but Michael wondered just how long that would take. He tried to change the topic. "So, what's with the new outfit?"  
  
Maria looked down and shrugged. "I decided it's time for a change." She said simply, crossing her legs just the perfect way she knew that made them look extra long. "Plus, my 'hippie' clothing as mom puts it, are in the wash. At least its not a fish net top, right?" Maria asked wishing she could telepathically reach out to Liz and say: 'Score! Maria 1, Michael 0!'  
  
He pulled his gaze away from Maria's legs. "Why are we not fooling around right now?" was on the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed to keep from saying it. 'Sometimes I wonder if I actually want Maria to get mad at me....' He poked his discarded tuna surprise. "You certainly don't look like the Maria I know. I'm actually surprised you didn't go to a costume shop and get some fish net stockings to finish of the look. Afterwards, you might have been able to go see Rocky Horror."  
  
Maria wondered if the itch in her hand was to slap, smack, or punch him. "Yeah, well. At least Rocky had men enough who could wear garters and pull them off you know." Maria said then stood up slowly, unwinding her long legs and stretching. "What 'Maria is it that you know', Michael?" Maria asked leaning down, one hand on his shoulder, the other on his side on the table. "Max's good little sister?"  
  
"Max's hippie sister," Michael quickly corrected. "The Maria who used to plot with me against her tyrannical older brother; who carries smelling salts in each of her pockets; the Maria who used to look like an individual. Now you look like the rest of them," He pointed back to the cafeteria. His gaze slipped up and down again, and he thought he might have been smiling. "But you still look hot."  
  
Alright. Maria sat back down and stared at him. "I know I look hot." Maria told him then leaned down close and kissed him deeply. Pulling back, Maria winked at him. "Might look like the rest of 'em, but am still my own person." Maria said pulling out of her bag some smelling salt that smelt like 'Banana' and tossed it to him. "Enjoy!" She said moving to leave.  
  
Staring at her, he barely managed to catch the tiny bottle. His mind was still faulting from the quick yet intense kiss. He managed to make his mouth work, and his voice was it's usual sarcastic self. "Yeah, well, you still looked hot when you were the old Maria," he muttered, as if just to get satisfaction from saying it. If she didn't hear, that was her own fault.  
  
"I know I did, Michael." Maria said turning to him and smiling though this smile kinda came out looking sad. "Shame you didn't see how hot I was inside too. Only the outside."  
  
'Ouch!' He mentally winced. Bitterly, he pocketed the banana crap and settled into his seat. Let Maria run away this time! "Beauty is in the eye of the holder, Maria. Obviously you see yourself on the inside. Inside, you probably see yourself as a cute little high school girl who can occasionally be a bad girl and a bitch. In reality, it's exactly the opposite."  
  
"Yeah in reality, I'm a little green girl with orbs floating around my head and tentacles sticking out of the top of my head, while my three fingered hand waves hello to passers by!" Maria hissed at him.  
  
"Better than being a hypocrite," Michael answered, even though he was no longer sure of what was going around.  
  
"Are you calling me a hypocrite?!" Maria yelled at him, and then noticing they were gathering an audience, but refusing to let him get the upper hand this time. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up.  
  
"You're not gonna have the tuna anyway, come on. I want to finish this conversation somewhere less public." Maria yelled and dragged him into the school.  
  
He let Maria drag him, feeling like an idiot. But when they went by the eraser room, he took his wrist back and opened the door. It was empty, minus erasers. He pulled Maria inside, and shut the door, leaning against it with his arms folded across his chest. "This is less public. Where were we? Oh yes: I don't know what I was calling you. I tried to tell you that you were a bitch, and then you started talking about orbs and tentacles."  
  
Maria put her bag down on the floor and stood opposite of him with her arms crossed over her chest. "Oh, so you think I am a bitch now, Michael? Real mature. Let me out of here. I don't want to be here with you."  
  
"You did last time we were both in here," Michael pointed out blandly. "And given the fact that somebody has been sneaking into my dreams, I'm not really sure what else to call you, Maria. If somebody confronts me, I'll do my best to tell the truth but you... what are you trying to do? Make me feel like shit? Because if you are, it's working, Maria! I'm losing my sleep, I've lost my appetite thanks to the few times I manage to fall asleep and I start dreaming, and when I come back to school, you're trying to make me jealous. What else should I call you?"  
  
Maria was fuming and felt a bit ashamed, maybe this really was all childish. "That's just the point Michael." Maria said trying to shove past him to get out the door. "Don't call me! God, I don't even know why I bothered, it's obvious you aren't mature enough for anything."  
  
"I'm not mature enough. I'm not the one turning me into a science project!" he snapped. "Yeah, I know all about Liz too. I'm not your guinea pig, Maria, I'm you... I'm...." He weakly smiled. "Well, that's really the problem, isn't it, Maria? We don't what I am; what we are, both together and separately."  
  
Maria stared at him blankly. Was Michael actually having a deep thought? "M- Michael.." Maria began staring up at him in confusion. "Michael, I know who I am." Maria said brushing her blonde bangs aside. "I know who you are. What you, Max and I are." Maria said then lowered her eyelids trying to figure the next part out, before looking up at him again. "I just don't think that we have a 'together'. We didn't last time, and don't go throwing Liz in my face Aladdin wanna-be."  
  
He shook his head, almost looking a little sad. "How can we have a together when in the past we weren't sure we had a together?" he demanded.  
  
"Weren't sure?" Maria asked staring up at him. "Michael, you were interested in one thing, that doesn't do for a relationship."  
  
"Exactly," he said, hoping they were both on the same page again. "How can you say we won't have future when we never even had a past?"  
  
"Because the future is based on the past Michael." Maria said cupping his cheek and looking into his eyes. "Michael, you didn't want a relationship. And now we are having a talk about 'us'. You are confusing me, and I don't have my lemongrass oil scents with me."  
  
"That's... ah... unfortunate," he said, slipping his hands on her hips. His brain felt fuzzy, and he knew it wasn't from being confused. "How do you know I don't want a relationship?" he softly inquired.  
  
Maria for the first time, probably ever, oil induced or not, found herself speechless, then let out a nervous little laugh, unable to bring herself to look away from his eyes. "Because I know you, Michael. 'The old ball and chain'? You take that too seriously and to unimaginable levels." Maria pointed out. "I've just come to realize that all of my trying won't help, you just aren't a relationship kinda guy." Maria said then used her free hand to brush the bangs out of his eyes. "I'm sorry I harassed you." Maria apologized.  
  
"Does this mean you can get Richard Simmons out of my dreams?" he begged.  
  
Maria nibbled her lower lip. "He really likes you Michael... I don't think I can bring myself to break his heart."  
  
"Bitch," he teased, before pulling her close and kissing her with all the feelings he had been holding up since the last time they had been alone together.  
  
Maria barely caught her breath before he crashed his lips against her. Still staring wide-eyed, it took her a few more seconds until she could finally bring herself to yield to the kiss. "Michael..." She whispered then shook her head, breaking the kiss and pulling back. "Does this mean-?"  
  
He arched an eyebrow. "Does this mean what?" he asked. He couldn't answer her question if she didn't finish it. His fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt, and he wanted to kiss her again so words wouldn't get in their way once more.  
  
"Michael, I still remember what you told me, that I am living in a fantasy thinking we have a relationship. If it's nookie you are interested in.... Then I'm sorry Michael, but I am a woman with other needs." Maria explained hoping he would get her drift.  
  
Michael felt his face growing hot. "But if it's what you want, and if it makes you happy...." He took a deep breath and told himself to be a man. "No, Maria, I don't want a relationship, but you do. And I don't like fighting with you. At least, not when we really mean it. So I'm... willing to give it a try. But it will be hard. For me. Because... because I really like you. I especially like bantering with you."  
  
"Really?" Maria asked arching her brow and wrapping her arms around his neck. "We're gonna have to change that top priority of yourself. Bantering just won't do." Maria said leaning up and kissing him, slowly deepening it. So what if he wasn't interested, he was willing to try for her sake and right now? That is all that counted.  
  
That he cared enough to try.  
  
That he cared.  
  
When Maria kissed him, he tightened his grip, slipping his hand under the hem of her shirt to feel the soft skin of her back. There was not a doubt in Michael's mind that he cared for Maria, not know. He'd admit to a lot, when he was under pressure, but he'd never admit that he was scared of her. Since their "break up" he had been living in Hell, and he didn't want to go through that again. He didn't want to lose her, but he worried about the promise he had just made. Michael really didn't have a good grasp on how to go about having a relationship. So he held her close, glad that he still leaned against the door so nobody could walk in, and kissed like there was no tomorrow, because he wasn't sure there would be.  
  
Max walked down the hall, carrying the tray full of erasers. Truth be told, he would have preferred detention. But he guessed this was a light sentence considering he was passing notes with Liz nonstop during Mr.Olson's class. But to clean all the erasers? Who would've known Mr. Olson even had so many. It was though he was saving them for this special day, to find some poor soul and have him clean all the erasers.  
  
Placing his hand on the knob and balancing the tray on the other, very waiter like style, Max tried to open the door but found it stuck. Leaning forward, Max banged his head against the door. Great. Perfect. He could go find the key or... Sure, he preached to the others not to use his powers. But this was for a good cause. Getting out of school on time to walk Liz to the Crashdown before her shift began.  
  
Closing his hand over the doorknob, Max narrowed his dark eyes on the lock and channeled pure energy through his hand. Finally he heard the click, and opened the door. Dropping his tray when the door opened and as it seemed the only support Michael and Maria had as they came crashing down to the floor. Maria atop Michael. For a moment, Max couldn't speak, could simply gawk.  
  
But soon, his senses woke up and slowly the scenes on the editing room of his mind were gathering into the full picture. "Why the hell do you have your hand up my sister's shirt?!" Max demanded. 


End file.
